Our Kind Of Love
by Owl of the Moon
Summary: Hurt by divorce, Dr. Rose Bukater saves the life of Jack Dawson, and finds love where she least expects it. Modern day in Chicago. Rated T, but there is some M. Please read and review!
1. A Fateful Day

**A/N: This is obviously not your typical Titanic fic. But I've been flirting with the idea of doing a Jack and Rose fic based in modern times, and get out of the comfort zone. So here ya go. I based this in Chicago because I've lived right outside the city all my life, worked there for almost three years, and am pretty familiar with it, so long as you don't ask me driving directions. Public transportation is the way to go there! Please R&R!**

Rose sighed, looking at the clock. She was not looking forward to going home. Despite the twenty four house security, the view of Lake Michigan, and that fact that her place of residence was a condo just off of Lake Shore Drive, Rose still felt lonely.

Three months ago she had filed for divorce from Cal, having come home to find him in bed with another woman. He claimed it was the first time, and that it would never happen again, but once was all she needed. Rose packed up and left that night, staying with a friend for a couple of weeks until she found her place. But not before they had it out with each other.

Cal blamed Rose completely. Ever since they had relocated to Chicago from Philly a year and half ago, they'd grown apart. Rose had been offered the head trauma surgeon position at Northwestern University. Cal supported her, or at least he said he did, so they uprooted and moved. Slowly the fights began. Cal struggled to find a job with a law firm in the failing economy. Eventually he did, representing corporate raiders. When Rose wasn't at work, she was on call quite often. She'd get pulled away from a romantic moment, or from bed at three in the morning. Cal became moody and irate with her for the smallest things. Rose no longer found him sexually attractive. The love between them began to die away. Cal flat out told her he was her other man, as she was married to her career. Rose promptly took off her wedding ring and flung it at him before slamming the door behind her. She filed for divorce the next day.

"Are you going to stand there and daydream all day, or answer that page," Brandy asked her. Quickly, Rose snapped out of it and fished her pager from her lab coat.

"Surgical consult," she muttered. Rose turned to the nurse, who was also her best friend.

"Are we still on for tonight?" Brandy nodded.

"You bet. Bar Louie at nine." Brandy grabbed the files the orderly handed her and turned her attention to them. Rose made her way downstairs to the ER.

_**...**_

Jack was tired of the heat. It wasn't so bad when he was in the classroom, or in his apartment. But his car had no air. Every weekend he meant to take it into the shop to fix it, but never got around to it.

He flipped on the radio and cranked it up. He couldn't carry a tune in a bucket, but he still sang loudly, not feeling sorry for any passersby on the sidewalk. The train rumbled on the tracks above him and for the thousandth time he wondered why he just didn't take public transportation to and from work. Sure the L had a habit of derailing from time to time, and the Blue Line had a fire a couple years ago, but he'd prefer that to sitting in traffic. Plus, he could people watch safely, and not have to worry about being run down by a cab.

_Screw this_, he thought as he turned down the one way street at the next light. Despite living in the city all his life, he hated the one way streets. If he missed a turn, he had to go around not one, but two blocks to get back to it. At least when it came to parking, things weren't so bad. He had his own parking space at his apartment complex, and a reserved spot at his job.

Jack leaned back, thinking about it. Though his first love were sketches and paintings, he had taken quite a nose dive into photography at Columbia College. He graduated with his bachelor's degree and within a year turned around and ended up teaching one of the classes at his alma mater. He'd heard a rumor that Mark Lippman was retiring from teaching a course in art history, and Jack wondered if it was true. He'd love to be Mark's replacement, but he knew it would be a trick and a half to get there.

The light turned green, and Jack stomped on the accelerator. He never saw the SUV coming full speed from the cross street, hoping to beat the light.

_**...**_

Rose sat on the locker room bench, letting herself unwind from the long and stressful day. Just as she stood to shake off her lab coat and toss her stethoscope in her locker, he pager went off again.

She grabbed it off the bench and silenced it. An MVA was coming in and emergency surgery was going to be needed. Smiling to herself, she shed the lab coat and grabbed a clean pair of scrubs from her locker.


	2. The Way He Looked At Me

**A/N: I'm glad you guys are liking this so far! Thanks for the reviews! Oh and forgive me for the lack of accents on Tommy and later Fabrizio. In this fic, they were born and raised in America.**

Rose groaned as her alarm clock buzzed. She reached out and smacked the snooze button giving her ten more minutes of peace. When it went off again, she threw her blankets off and forced herself to get up. _No more tequila_, she thought as the feeling of marbles rolled back and forth in her head. She grabbed her clothes, which she had blessedly left out last night before going out and headed to take a shower.

As the warm water trickled down her, she couldn't help but recall why she got so drunk last night. All she wanted was a girls' night with Brandy. Instead, she got emotionally slapped in the face. Cal had been at the bar, with the same girl she found him in bed with and they had no shame in flaunting their relationship. So Rose hit the Cuervo. Hard. She couldn't recall the last time she had gotten so drunk. Sure she'd gone out before, had a few drinks and come home with a pleasant buzz. But she was always able to get up for work the next day. Even though her marriage was over, it still hurt like hell seeing Cal with that woman. Rose deemed it a miracle that she didn't walk up to her, call her a whore, and slap her.

Turning off the water, Rose stepped out. Her day would be busy, but it was only twelve hours and then she had the next day off. _To sit at home and sulk_, her brain reminded her. Shaking the thoughts from her head, Rose quickly dried her hair, tossed it up into a clip, and got dressed. All she needed was a stop at Starbucks and she'd manage to survive the day.

_**...**_

_What the hell happened_, Jack thought. His eyes were shut, but all around him he could hear different sounds. There was a faint but steady beeping to his left. It sounded like he was in a room, and outside the doorway different voices drifted through and feet walked back and forth.

He attempted to move but found it to be extremely painful. His muscles in his abdomen were sore, like he had been the loser in a boxing match. He became aware that there was a needle stuck in the back of his hand, taped in place.

_"CODE BLUE ICU. CODE BLUE ICU."_

The page on the overhead system confirmed Jack's suspicions. He was in a hospital. For a few more moments he contemplated why he was there. The last thing he clearly remembered was driving into an intersection. There seemed to be a flash here and there in the back of his mind of being in an ambulance and then of someone cutting his clothes off. Obviously he had been in a car accident, and a nasty one.

Slowly Jack opened his eyes. To his surprise only the right one opened, as his left eye was swollen shut.

"Hey buddy." The voice startled Jack, but he recognized the voice. It was one of his roommates, Tommy. "You gave me one hell of a scare! How you feeling?"

"Like shit. What happened to me? Does Fabri know?" Jack didn't know where he got the strength to shoot the questions out rapid fire.

"You were in a nasty car accident. Some drunk driver blew a red light and ran your ass down. Yes Fabrizio knows, I told him just a couple hours ago. He's grabbing the red eye flight from Rome later." Jack opened his mouth to speak just as the nurse walked in.

"Good to see you awake. I'm Carla, I'll be your nurse until seven tonight. Can you tell me your name, date of birth, and who the president is?" As she asked the questions she placed a thermometer in Jack's ear.

"Jack Dawson, August ninth, nineteen eighty, Obama," Jack rattled off easily. "How bad off am I?"

"You're doctor will be in here within the next few minutes and explain everything to you," Carla assured Jack with a smile. Her smile was so friendly and sincere, he couldn't help but return it. "If you need anything, just page me," she pointed out the remote next to him on the bed. "And this here is your new best friend." She handed Jack the clicker to the morphine drip. "Don't worry. You can't give yourself too much. It's on a timer and will only dispense every five minutes." Carla grabbed his chart and began to scribble something down as Jack's doctor walked in. "Good morning Dr. Bukater. Here is Mr. Dawson's chart, his vitals are all good and stable and he is awake and responsive."

"Thanks Carla," Rose said as she took the chart from the nurse while sipping at her no fat extra foam latte. She looked over the chart for a moment completely unaware that Jack was staring at her the best he could with his good eye. "Do you prefer me to call you Mr. Dawson or Jack?" Rose asked having yet to look up.

"Jack." _How did I remember my own name with her in here?_

"Okay then," she said, finally looking up. "Jack, I'm Dr. Bukater. I was the surgeon who operated on you when you were brought in yesterday afternoon. Do you remember what happened to you?" Rose slid out the stool from underneath the counter to sit.

"Not a single thing," Jack said.

Tommy had to place his hand over his face casually to prevent Dr. Bukater from seeing him smile. _Liar._

"Well you were hit broadside by a drunk driver and to be perfectly honest, the fact that you survived the ambulance ride is nothing short of a miracle. You had massive internal bleeding, s torn spleen, two cracked ribs and a punctured lung."

"No wonder I feel like shit." He noticed the doctor give a tiny smile at his honesty.

"And you will for quite sometime. You do have a minor concussion. Your cheekbone was also fractured, but that is the least of your worries. It was a very small fracture, and we didn't have to operate on it to stabilize it. Eventually the swelling will go down on your face, usually within seventy two hours patients can open the eye. Your other injuries will take sometime to heal, especially the cracked ribs." Rose's pager went off and she grabbed it. "Damn, I'm being paged into emergency surgery. You get some rest," she told him, standing to leave. "Don't be surprised if you feel more and more worse as the day wears on. You're going to get a whole lot worse before you get better."

"As long as I don't die," Jack quipped. Rose smiled, but Jack noticed it was a professional smile. Still, it was beautiful.

"You better not. I worked long and hard putting you back together. If you up and die on me, I'll be pretty mad." As she spoke, her smile left professional mode and became personal. "I'll check back on you later." Rose turned and walked quickly out the door.

"Well you heard her. Get some rest. We both know you want to be wide awake when she comes back," Tommy joked. Jack would have smiled, but his face was beginning to throb from the small amount of talking he did. "I'm going to go, I have to work. I'll call up here later to see how you are." Jack simply waved to Tommy as he left. He clicked the button, giving himself some morphine before settling into a deep sleep.

Meanwhile as Rose was changing into surgical scrubs, she couldn't shake the butterflies from her stomach. Despite only having vision from one eye at the moment, Jack Dawson had done something to her when he made eye contact.


	3. Flirting

A/N: Sorry it's taking me so long to update. Been busy get the house ready to sell.

Jack was quickly growing tired of being in the hospital bed, and it had yet to be a full twenty four hours since he had woken up here. Much to his disappointment, he had slept straight through the night. So if Dr. Bukater had come to check on him, he missed it. Just as he was wondering if she would be in today, a welcome and familiar face walked into the room.

"Jack! Are you okay?" Fabrizio's eyes were wide with worry as he saw the condition his best friend was in. The needles and lines he was hooked up to were bad enough. However, throughout the remainder of the previous day and into the night, his face had only swollen worse.

"I'm not gonna lie Fabri, I've been a whole lot better. The doctor said this swelling will go down in a few days and I'll be able to open my eye again." Jack pointed to his bruised face as he spoke. At least he hoped he was. His vision was a little obscured by the swelling and concussion. He saw Dr. Bukater walk by and he felt a jolt of excitement. Then she entered the room, his chart in hand. "And this wonderfully talented and beautiful surgeon saved my life," Jack exclaimed to Fabrizio, and he smiled.

Rose found herself to be blushing at Jack's words, and attempted to hide it by pretending to flip through his chart. She knew she didn't need to, she had gone over it in the hall when she grabbed it from the nurse's station. Despite the heat in her face, she managed to reply to the compliment. "Just doing my job, Jack." _Should I thank him? No Rose. He's just a patient, you're his doctor. End of story._

"And your face always matches your hair while on the job?" Jack couldn't help but flirt with her. He gave Fabri a sort of look that said _Get Outta Here_ and Fabri obliged. He walked down to the cafeteria, laughing to himself the entire time. If Jack was able to flirt with a woman, he knew his friend would be fine.

Rose couldn't help but let out a small laugh. "Alright, you caught me. The beautiful part threw me off course. Thank you for the compliment." _So much for the end of the story Rose._ Jack smiled as best as he could. "Anyways, back to the reason I'm here," she began, holding his chart up.

As much as Jack enjoyed the subtle flirting, he was much more interested in the condition of his health. "How does everything look? Better yet, when can I go home?"

"Everything so far is looking fantastic. I do want to run a couple of tests. A head CT and a chest x-ray so I can how you're healing. Those will probably be run later this morning, I ordered them on my way into work. If everything is normal, you should be able to go home the day after tomorrow."

"And if it doesn't I'm stuck here aren't I?" Jack really did want to go home, but he didn't mind the hospital when she was here.

"Yes, but you're young and healthy. I really see no reason why you would have to stay longer. Our first concern is infection, but so far you are responding well to the antibiotics and you haven't had a fever. As long as your concussion, lung, and other internal injuries are healing, you'll be fine." A nurse walked in, and both her and Rose grabbed some gloves. "This is Brandy, she's going to assist me in changing your dressings."

"I thought nurses did that by themselves," Jack said, not that he minded.

"Usually they do. But I like to see how incisions are healing with the first bandage change," Rose replied as she grabbed some supplies from inside a cabinet. "I'm nothing if not efficient."

"Well I can't disagree with you there. How badly is it going to hurt when you rip the tape off," Jack asked, pretending to be generally worried.

Rose cocked her eyebrow as Brandy gently lifted the hospital gown. "With all the other injuries you have, you're worried about the little sting of tape?" Focus Rose. _Don't take notice that the sheet slipped down, revealing his hip slightly._ _He's not the first good looking guy you've treated for crying out loud!_

"Rose, you know all men are wimps. That's why God chose women for childbirth," Brandy quipped, pulling Rose from her thoughts. Rose laughed.

"Didn't you say you had an epidural for all three of yours?" Rose leaned forward to examine the wounds as Brandy slowly removed Jack's bandages.

"It wasn't for me. It was for my husband. Never mind that fact that I was about to shove a nine pound baby out, he was afraid I was going to break his hand."

The entire conversation between the two women completely went over Jack's head. He was deep in thought. _Rose. It suits her. She as beautiful as one and seems as strong as a rose's thorns. But there's something about her that makes her as fragile as one in a hailstorm._ Jack was glad he now knew her name. "How's it looking?" Jack was forcing himself to stare at the ceiling. The tape coming off actually did sting and caught him a little off guard.

"Well, whoever sewed you back up did a wonderful job," Rose said lightheartedly. She was pleased to see Jack smile at her sense of humor. "It's healing beautifully. No signs of infection, no oozing. You are quite bruised around your ribs, which doesn't surprise me. How's the pain in that area?"

"Enough that I notice it, not enough to make me uncomfortable," Jack told her. It was the truth. He hadn't exactly been running around to cause him discomfort. Rose yanked off her gloves and tossed them in the trash before turning back to Jack. "Hey, am I done here?" Jack noticed that the nurse had smoothly and painlessly reapplied the bandages and left the room.

Rose nodded. "Alright, I have to complete my rounds. After your tests are run and I get the results, we'll see about getting you up and out of this bed. The sooner you can move, the better off you'll be." Jack looked slightly confused. "The longer you wait to get moving, the worse off the pain will be," Rose explained further. "I'll see you later Jack," Rose promised, laying her hand on his. _Well alright. This is something I've never done before._

"Thanks Dr. Bu - Can I just call you Rose?" Rose found herself flattered at the request. She smiled, and Jack noticed her eyes lighten slightly.

"Yeah you can," she replied before walking out of the room, leaving Jack wishing she hadn't.

Brandy practically ambushed Rose when she exited the room, having eavesdropped on the conversation. "So that's the guy huh?"

Rose rolled her eyes and let out an exasperated sigh. "Yes that's him. All I did was operate on Jack, and when I woke up this morning, I couldn't wait to get here to check on him." Brandy laughed. "Seriously, I don't know why I can't get him out of my head!"

"So you find him attractive. That's a good thing Rose! I know it seems like such a tiny step, but finding another man attractive, even if it could potentially be a rebound relationship, it's a sign that you're moving on from that jackass." Rose smiled. Brandy refused to acknowledge Cal's name ever since Rose had turned up on her doorstep the night she left him. "I gotta run, there's other patients to check on." Brandy gave Rose a half hug as she turned and walked in the other direction.

_Maybe Brandy's right. Maybe I am ready to move on_, Rose thought as she stepped into the elevator to head to the ER. _Or maybe it's just wishful thinking._


	4. Hopeful

**A/N: Thanks for the reviews! They keep me going on this! **

Rose walked into the room, happy to see Jack sitting up in bed. His head was slightly bent, and he was writing something. He saw her walk in, but didn't look up from the paper he focused on. "Do I ever get to leave this place? I'm really getting sick of hospital food."

Rose laughed. "Not many people are fans of the food here. And yes, you get to leave first thing in the morning, so long as your fever doesn't come back." Jack simply tossed what he was working on, onto the bedside table. He had spiked a fever just a few hours after Rose and Brandy had changed his bandages. It was gone by the following morning after a stronger course of antibiotics was given to him. Rose had told him they had to wait forty eight hours after the fever broke before they could release him.

"How come I didn't get to see you yesterday?" Jack figured it had been her day off, but wanted to make conversation.

"Yesterday was my day off," she replied, confirming what he already knew. She grabbed a pen light from her front pocket. "How does it feel to see out of both eyes again?"

"Wonderful. You look twice as stunning today," Jack said boldly. Once again Rose blushed, but this time she smiled. She leaned forward to check his pupils, and Jack grimaced at her light touch.

"Sorry. That area's going to be tender for awhile." She finished checking his eyes and tucked the pen away. _He's flirting Rose. Flirt back!_ She didn't know if that was her own mind telling her that, or Brandy's advice echoing in her head. Either way she listened to it. "So Jack tell me something. Do you flirt with all the women like this?"

Jack laughed at her question, glad she was returning the gesture now. "Only the gorgeous ones who save my life Rose."

"And how many of those have there been," she asked, smiling.

"Well let's see." Jack looked up to the ceiling and pretended to really think about it. "There's been you and...that's it. Your turn," he said with an enticing smile.

"My turn? For what?"

"To tell me something. Do you always pay such close attention to your patients, or am I just extra special," he teased her.

"You wish Jack," she answered with a wink. _Did I just really just do that? Good Lord!_ "Is it my turn now?"

Jack scooted up more on bed, getting comfortable. "Sure."

Rose pulled up the stool and sat next to his bed. "What is the huge pile of papers that you were concentrating so hard on, I think I your hair smoldering?" Jack grabbed the folders off the bedside table.

"They aren't papers per say. They're photography portfolios. I teach over at Columbia College." He saw Rose's face light up with interest and went on. "I had Fabri bring them over the other day, before I spiked a fever. My students don't have the normal written final exam." He held up a folder. "This is the final exam. They have from the beginning of the course until the end to put together a portfolio, much like what they would take with them on job interviews."

Jack noticed Rose wanting to flip through one, but restraining herself. He handed her one, allowing her to go through it. "It sounds so simple for a final in college. Not exactly like I remember. What's this," she asked pulling out a typed paper.

"That's the tricky part. Every picture my students take for this, they have to analyze." Rose read over the paper, intrigued by his teaching style.

"So they have to explain the who's, whys, whens, wheres, whats, and hows of each picture," she observed as she flipped the page. "How long have you been doing this?" She finished reading and handed the paper to Jack, who stuffed it back into the proper folder.

"Just a couple years. I graduated from there, worked at free lance photography for a while, and when they had an opening for a teacher, I took it. There's a rumor going around that the art history professor might be retiring, so I may consider working my way into that position. However, I probably need a whole other degree for that. What about you?"

"What about me?"

"How long have you been a doctor?" Rose's pager went off as she opened her mouth to answer. "That thing, is a moment killer," he said.

Rose laughed at the truth Jack spoke as she checked the page and silenced the thing. "I know I hate it. A trauma surgeon's work is never done. I have to go scrub in. I'll be back later," she promised. She walked briskly out of the room as Tommy walked in.

"Chase her off already Jack," Tommy asked jokingly.

"Ha ha. No, she had surgery. What are you doing here?"

"What? I can't stop by on my lunch break from work to say hello? How's everything looking?" Tommy pulled up a chair next to Jack.

"I should be clear to go home tomorrow." He noticed Tommy was wearing a jacket. "Why the hell are you wearing that? It's the middle of July!" Tommy reached inside and pulled out a bag from Taco Bell.

"Thought you might like this, even though it may be cold by now." Jack grabbed the bag from Tommy.

"I don't care. A cold quesadilla is better than the crap they serve in here. Thanks man."

Tommy shrugged. "No problem. It was Fabri's idea. He would have brought it himself, but he's stuck at work. You know that van Gogh exhibit is next weekend, so everyone at the Art Institute is working overtime getting ready for it."

The light bulb in Jack's brain clicked on. He had two tickets to the exhibit. He didn't know why he bought two, but he did.

So when Rose signed off on Jack's chart the following morning, he surprised by asking her to go with him. What surprised her even more is that she said yes.


	5. Bundles Of Nerves

For the third time, Rose changed her shirt. The first one had been cut way too low. It wasn't that Rose didn't mind showing off a little cleavage, but the Art Institute of Chicago didn't seem like the place to do it. The second top was just completely unflattering on her figure, and she felt like a bag lady in it. She thought she had found the perfect top, but as soon as she pulled it down over her stomach, she noticed a stain on it. Irritated, she pulled the shirt off and flung it into the dirty clothes pile, hoping to get rid of the stain later.

After a few more minutes of stomping around her bedroom, she decided to just change her entire outfit. Rose pulled off her flowered skirt and dropped it to the floor. She stared into her closet for a few minutes and finally pulled out her dark blue denim capri pants. They were subtle yet sexy, a look she wasn't aware she was going for until she stepped into them. _Geez woman, you'd think this is your first date ever_, one voice in her head told her. Meanwhile another voice argued. _It's not a date! You're simply going with him to the van Gogh exhibit._ The first voice came back. _Yeah, and you were his doctor and he was your patient. That wasn't exactly the end of the story was it?_

"Ugh. Shut up," Rose yelled to the voices in her head. "What ever happens, happens." _Great, now you're talking to yourself. _ Rolling her eyes at herself, she grabbed a simple blue tank top out of the dresser drawer and slipped it over her head. "Perfect." The top was low cut, but not slutty. She had wanted to put on a necklace, but every single one she had was from Cal, and she had tossed them all. All she had was a simple silver chain. Satisfied that it would work, she clasped it around her neck, put her silver hoops in, and turned her attention to finding a pair of shoes.

_**...**_

"I can't believe you actually asked her out Jack," Fabri told him between bites of his pizza. "Well no, I can believe that. I can't believe she said yes."

"Hey, Jack's a charmer. I'm honestly shocked our door is still intact and women haven't beaten down the door to get to him," Tommy joked.

Jack, still in the bathroom brushing his teeth, extended his arm out the door to give his friends a nice finger gesture, which they both laughed at, knowing he wasn't serious. He looked at the reflection in the mirror. His face wasn't back to one hundred percent, but he'd take the eighty five percent that it was at. It was no longer swollen, and his eye wasn't blood red anymore. All that remained was some bruising, but it was fading and no longer purple. He quickly crossed the hallway into his bedroom and changed into his Diesel jeans and plain black T-shirt. Remembering his Converse were next to the couch in the living room, he went there to lace them up.

"Nervous?" Jack looked at Tommy who asked the question. Jack shook his head.

"No. Why should I be? We're only going to an art exhibit," Jack replied, purposely dodging the logic behind Tommy's question.

"I think he meant about having a date with a beautiful doctor who happened to save his life," Farbi pointed out as he grabbed a beer from the fridge.

"It's not a date, and no, I'm not nervous," he said. _ Liar. You're scared shitless and you know it._ Although Jack wanted to consider it a date, he refused to. "The one thing that does worry me is her seeing the condition we leave this apartment in," Jack joked. Despite the fact that three guys lived there, it was far from a pigsty. The only real mess was the collection of beer bottles on the kitchen counter from the night before that they hadn't yet thrown into recycling.

"Speaking of which, doesn't the guy usually drive on the first date," Fabri joked. He knew full well Jack's car had been totaled in the accident, and he wasn't supposed to drive if he was still taking pain medication.

Jack was about to tell Fabri to stick it when there was a knock on the door. _Oh my God, she's here!_ Tommy, standing right by the door, opened it. Jack screwed his jaw tight so it wouldn't drop to the floor.

"Hey Tommy, Fabrizio." Rose's eyes fell on Jack and for a split second she forgot how to speak. "Jack. You're looking much better than you did last week." Jack smiled at her, stunned by her beauty.

"Well you do too. It's nice to see you own clothes other than scrubs and a lab coat." She smiled widely, not caring this time when she felt her face heat up.

"Thanks Jack. Are you ready to go?"

Jack did that thing that only men do. He patted his pockets about three times making sure he had his wallet, keys, phone, and the exhibit tickets. "Yeah I think I am. Shall we?" He gestured that he would follow her out the door.

"Yes let's! Bye guys," she gave them a little wave as she walked towards the door.

"Have him back by midnight," Tommy called. Rose laughed at the joke as Jack shut the door behind him.

"Thanks again for offering to drive," Jack told Rose, nervously.

"Not a problem Jack," she assured him. "Haven't found a new car yet huh?" Jack shrugged.

"I'm in no hurry. Classes are over for the semester and anywhere I need to go, I can get to on the CTA if it's not within walking distance. Did I tell you that you're beautiful, by the way?"

"Surprisingly, no. You just said you were glad to see me in different clothes." She grabbed her keys from her purse and hit the button to unlock the doors.

"Well you are." He saw her face flush. "I'll take that cute shade of red on your face as a thank you," he teased, making her turn even redder. He saw the car they were headed toward and let out a low whistle. "Nice Beamer. What is it with doctors and expensive cars? BMWs, Jags, Mercedes. How come you never see a doctor in something simple, like a Chevy Aveo?" Jack opened the door and slid into the little two seater.

"Because," Rose began as she started the car, "after four years of college, four years of medical school, and a year of interning, doctors can finally afford and deserve something expensive." She clicked her seat belt and turned to make eye contact with him. "That's why." Jack noticed how she crinkled her nose with her last sentence, but didn't have time to enjoy it before Rose put the car in first gear and tore out of the parking spot.

_**...**_

"I cannot believe I have never been here before," Rose exclaimed. Jack looked at her like she had grown a second head. "What? I told you on the way here I've only been in Chicago since last January."

"I'm sorry. You're driving just makes it seem like you've lived here all your life," Jack joked and Rose laughed.

"I came from Philly, it's pretty much the same." Rose was tempted to take Jack's hand and interlock her fingers into his. He just looked so...she couldn't find a single word to describe him. As she was about to give into temptation, a familiar voice echoed out from behind her and she froze. Jack took notice, and caught a glance of the man who caused it. Gently, he placed his arm around her shoulder, turning her toward the exit.


	6. Saving The Day

**A/N: As always, thanks for the reviews! Those who are also reading Without You, don't worry, I'm gonna get to it. This story has just totally sucked up all of my attention at the moment!**

For a few minutes, Rose just sat there. Jack had led her to one of the courtyards, and she found a seat on the concrete benches surrounding the trees. Her shakiness had eased the moment she sat down, but her heart was still pounding. _Of all the places in the city, why did he have to end up here? Better yet, why did I have to freak out like that?_

Jack was sitting next to her when he pulled a pack of Marlboros out of his pocket. He placed two cigarettes on the tip of his lips and lit them simultaneously, handing one to Rose. She had no shame grabbing it and taking a long drag of nicotine.

"Of all people, you should know how bad these things are for you." Rose didn't have to force the smile that came to her lips at Jack's comment. "How long ago did you divorce him?" Rose's head snapped around to look at him.

"How did you I was divorced," Rose demanded. Instead of answering, Jack simply lifted her left hand. Rose noticed she still had a slight tan line and indent from where her wedding ring had been for many years. _Damn._

"Just over three months ago. We were high school sweethearts, got married our senior year of college, right after I turned twenty two. We were married close to ten years. I got the job at Northwestern and we moved out here and eventually grew apart. I came home from work one day to find him in our bed with another woman." Rose took another drag from her cigarette, enjoying it. Though she wasn't sobbing, tears were falling from her eyes. "I'm sorry Jack." Before she realized what she was doing, she rested her head on his shoulder. _How is it I can be so comforted by a man who I barely know and barely knows me?_

"For what Rose? After the man you loved for over a decade cheats on you, you're entitled to be emotional and freak out occasionally. It's no big deal." He stomped out his cigarette and tossed the butt in the nearby trash can. "We'll find something else to do," he said offering her his hand as he stood.

"What about the exhibit? You spent all that money on the tickets," she said, somewhat worried about it.

"What about it? I bought them through the school at a discount anyways." He shrugged. "If I had to choose between seeing priceless masterpieces and your smile, well your smile wins. Come on."

Rose's heart fluttered at the comment as she took Jack's hand. In order to get back to Rose's car, they had to walk back through the building. They passed Cal, but Rose found that walking with Jack, holding his hand, she didn't really care.

...

"I can't believe I hadn't been here either," Rose cried out. "Brandy drags me to every single bar and club in the downtown area, but when it comes to something fun like this, it goes straight over her head!"

Jack laughed, enjoying Rose's excitement. Any and all signs of her earlier upset had been wiped clean off her face when they walked into the Shedd Aquarium. "I still can't believe you were squeamish of holding a tarantula," he teased her. They had done the animal encounter after walking all around the place, taking in a show at the oceanarium, and staring for an hour at the Caribbean Reef.

"Just because I can poke around in peoples' bodies doesn't mean I want to hold a big furry spider! At least livers and spleens don't bite," she cracked. "That was amazing Jack!" She turned to wrap her arms around him. He managed not to flinch in pain as she pressed up against his cracked ribs, and instead returned the hug.

"I'm glad you had fun Rose." A gentle breeze blew off the lake, and he was able to inhale the scent of her hair. It was still early, and even though he had been growing tired earlier, her scent livened him. "Come on, there's something else I want you to see. Let's go get your car from the garage."

Hand in hand they walked back to the public garage that Rose had parked her car in earlier that day. They had just left it when they left the Art Institute, as they had already paid for the entire day and it was only a mile to the aquarium.

Rose unlocked the car, and both her and Jack slid in. "Alright. Where to?"

"Do you know how to get to Navy Pier," Jack asked with a simple smile.

"As a matter of fact, I do," Rose replied, backing out of the parking space. She pressed a button on the dashboard, lowering the roof of the BMW and popped in a Bon Jovi CD with impressive finesse.

Jack and Rose spent the remainder of the afternoon at Navy Pier. The rode the Ferris wheel and took a sightseeing boat tour, both experiences they enjoyed while holding each others' hands. They ate a late dinner at Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. before taking in the firework display over the lake.

Finally exhausted, as it was close to midnight when they reached Rose's car, they both agreed that they should call it a day. "I need one of my Vicodin," Jack admitted as he buckled his seat belt. "I haven't taken one all day."

Rose cocked her eyebrow at him. "Why not?" There was nothing but concern in her voice.

"They make me slightly loopy and completely giddy. I wanted to stay on an even keel today, so I just skipped it." Rose smiled, wishing she could grab his hand, but she had to keep her hand free to shift gears.

"You didn't have to sacrifice your comfort because of me," she told him sincerely. He looked over at her, enjoying the way the street lights illuminated her face.

"I know I didn't have to. I wanted to Rose." Between shifts, she grabbed his hand, placing it below hers on the shifter. The rest of the ride home was silent, but not the slightest bit uncomfortable. As Rose pulled into a parking spot near Jack's building and got out of the car, Jack asked. "Do you have to work tomorrow?"

Rose shook her head. "No. I've dedicated the entire day to painting my living room. Wanna come over and help," she jokingly asked.

"Yes," Jack replied, not missing a beat.

She was shocked by Jack's answer. "Jack, I was joking. You're still recovery from surgery. How are you supposed to paint?"

He laughed. "I wasn't joking. If I can't paint, I can at least supervise." A burst of laughter escaped Rose's throat. She saw Jack staring at her a small smile on his lips.

"What? I wanna spend more time with you Rose. Is that so bad?" He placed his hand on the side of her face, stroking her cheek with his thumb. She sighed at the feel of his touch.

"No Jack, it's not bad at all. In fact, I'd very much enjoy it if you were to 'supervise' my painting." She leaned against the car, not to escape Jack's touch, but to steady herself. His lips were an inch away from hers.

"Then I'll be by tomorrow. Just call me and tell me when and where to meet you," he told her, leaning closer.

"Yeah. Okay," she whispered, right before Jack's lips reached hers.


	7. Goofing Off

**A/N: Thanks for the reviews! So I got this whole painting idea while I was...well...painting! Anyways, this chapter's a lot of fluff, but I just think the whole scenario is cute.**

Rose sighed as she drank her morning coffee. She had just hung up with Jack, and he would be here in just an hour. He had turned down her offer to pick him up, saying Fabri was dropping him off. She wouldn't have minded, but at least she was allowed a few more minutes to get ready. _Just because I'll be covered in paint by the end of the day, doesn't mean I can't look good at the beginning_, she told herself thoughtfully.

Taking a quick shower, her mind lingered to the previous evening. Jack had been so sweet and caring, completely unselfish. He even skipped his pain medication to remain alert and enjoy the time with her. He told her he wanted to spend more time with her, just before he pressed his lips to hers.

Despite the warm water, Rose shivered, thinking about the kiss. It wasn't just that he kissed her, it was the _way_ he kissed her. His lips barely brushed hers, as if he was asking permission to kiss her. She had told him yes by placing her hand on the back of his neck and pulling him deeper into the kiss. Rose had found the kiss as innocent as she did passionate. In silence, she walked him to his door, where she kissed him again, before saying good night.

As Rose stepped out of the shower and wrapped her hair in a towel, she heard her phone ring. Quickly throwing on her robe, she dashed to grab it off the island in the kitchen. She cursed under her breath when she saw it was the hospital calling.

"This is Dr. Bukater," she said calmly, praying that she wasn't being called into work. She also found herself wondering why she had bothered with the robe, no one could see her.

"Chill, it's just me," Rose heard Brandy say from the other end of the line. She felt her pulse slow down.

"Hey. What's up?" Rose pressed the phone between her ear and shoulder as she began to organize the kitchen. Brandy let out a laugh.

"How was the date? Wait, rewind. Was it a date? Did he kiss you?" Rose laughed at her best friend, rapidly firing the questions as her.

"It was a wonderful day we spent together. I would love to tell you all the details right now, but I'm really busy right now Bran." Rose wasn't lying. She wanted to at least get dressed and have her hair brushed back into a clip before Jack got here.

"You forgot to answer the last question," Brandy called her out. Rolling her eyes, Rose responded.

"Yes. He kissed me." She paused long enough to hear a tiny squeal come from Brandy's end. "I swear we'll do lunch tomorrow and I will fill you in. I have really got to go. Jack's coming over in a bit and-"

"And what," Brandy questioned.

"He offered to help me paint," Rose told her with a smile in her voice. "I've got to go. I'll talk to you later."

"Alright. Have fun," Brandy told her before hanging up. Relieved to have that out of the way, Rose went to get dressed, smiling to herself. Brandy and Rose had hit it off when she'd moved to Chicago. They were as close as sisters. A divorced single mother, Brandy offered Rose a shoulder to cry on long before she discovered Cal's infidelity, when Rose knew their marriage was headed south.

Rose just finished pulling her hair back into a high ponytail when she heard a knock on the door. Adrenaline rushed through her as she opened it, finding Jack on the other side smiling.

"Good morning Jack," she said, grinning like an idiot. She moved so he could walk through the door.

"It is now," he told her. Then he pulled a bouquet of flowers from behind his back. "These are for you beautiful."

"Oh Jack! Thank you! They're beautiful," she said, inhaling the scent.

Jack smiled, pleased to make her happy. "They're actually rather dull next to you." Rose's face flamed, and unable to help herself, she leaned forward to kiss him. He wrapped an arm around her back, pulling her close. "I should bring you flowers more often if this is how you thank me."

Rose giggled, crinkling her nose. He kissed her again before taking the flowers and asking for a vase to put them in.

"I, um, don't own any," Rose confessed. But I have plenty of glasses in the cabinet above the sink," she pointed out. Jack opened the cabinet door, and the first glass he found was a pint, with the Guinness label on it. He grabbed it, filled it with water, and placed the bunch of daisies in there. Rose saw it and laughed. "Tacky...love it!"

"I'm glad you approve. Where shall I put these," he asked holding them up. The sight of Jack holding a punch of daises in a Guinness pint almost sent Rose into a fit of laughter.

"You can just leave them on the island since I have everything in the living room covered with drop cloths," she told him. He did as she said, and they both turned their attention to the living room.

"Wow, you've been busy," Jack commented. All the trim had been taped off, and all the furniture was covered. "What colors are you doing in here," he asked, wrapping an arm around her waist.

"I'm doing a pale green, kind of sage colored." She took his hand and led him to the paint cans. She knelt down and pried a can open, showing him the color before mixing it with a paint stick.

"Well let's get to it then," Jack said. He helped her get everything ready, admiring her the entire time. _She's in ripped jeans and an old t-shirt and she still looks amazing._ Rose grabbed a remote out of her pocket and pointed it to the covered entertainment center. The condo filled with music. For an hour they rocked out to Kid Rock while painting. Even though they started on opposite walls, they constantly stole glances of each other when they thought the other wasn't paying attention. Rose noticed Jack cautiously painting around an electrical outlet when an idea struck her.

Brush in hand, she quietly walked over to stand next to him. "Jack." He turned, right into her wet paint brush, covering his cheek with wet paint. The look on his face sent Rose's into hysterical giggles.

"Do you have any idea how lucky you are that I'm recovering from cracked ribs," he jokingly asked her. The injury was getting better, throbbing only when agitated. "I will get you back for that Rose," he promised.

"I'm sorry Jack! You were just painting so intensely there, I couldn't help myself," she spoke between giggles.

"Liar. You know you're not sorry," he joked. "You're going to be though," he told her. Rose hadn't noticed while she was laughing, Jack had dipped both hands in the paint tray.

"Oh am I? Is that a threat Jack," she said, grinning.

"No. Just a promise," he told her. Before she could react, he grabbed her by her shoulders and ran his hands all the way down to her wrists. He smiled the entire time.

"Oh now Jack, that just ain't right," Rose scolded. She was teasing of course, and he knew this. Otherwise she wouldn't have kissed him back when his lips crashed down on hers.


	8. Getting To Know You

**A/N: In case you're wondering why Rose is simply Rose Bukater instead of Rose DeWitt Bukater, it is explained here. :) And holy crap this is a long chapter. Enjoy and review!**

"Want another beer," Rose called from the kitchen.

"Sure, thanks," Jack hollered back from where he was at.

They had finished painting hours ago, and now they sat on the balcony outside the condo. The night was warm and humid, but the breeze off the lake felt heavenly. They were simply enjoying each others' company. Rose handed him a Miller Lite.

"So you never answered a question for me. I believe your God forsaken pager went off mid conversation last week." Jack grabbed the bottle opener and popped the top of the bottle.

"Six years," she replied, remembering that particular moment.

"What?" Jack was surprised that she realized what question he was talking about.

"I've been a doctor for six years. I interned and worked at Hahnemann University Hospital in Philly. Then a head hunter called from Northwestern, and I ended up getting the job here in Chicago. So Cal and I packed up and moved out here. He hated it." Rose begun to peel off the label of her now sweaty beer bottle.

"Do you mind if I ask why," Jack asked. He wanted to know everything there was about her, but he wouldn't push. Rose shook her head.

"At first he didn't. He had a job lined up with a law firm, but with the way the economy was, the deal fell through. Cal's in love with his own ego, and it was bruised very badly when I became the sole breadwinner of the household. He ended up finding a job, at which he made less than I do, and that just bruised it more. I think that's what led to his affair. In fact I know it is because the night I left him, he told me he felt like he was 'the other man' because I was married to my career." Rose sighed thoughtfully. Never in a million years had she thought she'd be pouring her heart and soul out to another man about her ex husband.

"Then he didn't deserve you to begin with," Jack told her. She noticed he had a certain edge to his voice as he said it.

"No I guess he didn't. I threw my wedding ring at him and left. I couldn't change my last name fast enough when the divorce was final," she mentioned.

"What was it before?"

"Hockley." Jack snickered. "Yeah I know, doesn't have a nice ring to it does it? My maiden name was DeWitt Bukater, but I dropped the DeWitt and just went with Bukater."

"Did you do that to make it easier at the hospital," Jack asked, finding no other reason why she would do that.

"That was just a bonus. My mother is one of those old school, hardcore Catholics. She's practically disowned me for divorcing Cal. We had a huge falling out a few years back when she I told her I wasn't planning on having any children. Her and I never got along, and when my dad died it just went from bad to worse. I moved in with Cal shortly after graduating high school."

"Oh I bet she just loved that," Jack joked. "When did your dad die," he asked, his voice turning serious.

"When I was eight. He was mugged on his way home from work and shot. He made it to the hospital, but the bullet caused massive internal bleeding and the surgeons couldn't repair the damage. That was when I decided that I wanted to do what I do."

"Wow. You are really something else, you know that?" Jack finished off the last of his beer and set the empty bottle on the ground next to his chair. Rose reached down and grabbed it.

"One more Jack?"

"Don't you have to work tomorrow," Jack asked. Rose took the last swig of her beer before shaking her head.

"No. Yesterday and today were my scheduled days off, but I took tomorrow off as well. I have hopes of finishing up in there," she explained, motioning to the living room. "Besides, what are you? My boss?"

Jack laughed. "No. Nor would I want to be. I don't envy anyone who tells you what to do." Rose looked at him, scrutinizing his face.

"Meaning?"

"It's a compliment Rose. You're full of life and determination. You know what attracted me to you in the first place," Jack asked.

"My good looks," she said, half joking. She had a feeling he was about to say something that would completely knock her off her feet.

"Well that too," Jack confessed. "You're got a fire in you. You're smart, strong, determined, brave. You know what you want and you go for it. I know that I've known you for only a week or so, but I can just tell."

Rose was surprised at the complete sincerity of his thoughts, and loved how he didn't sound at all cocky about it. "You have a gift Jack, you do. You see people."

"I see you," he told her with a slight head bob.

She looked at him, with a whimsical smile. "And?"

"No matter how bad things are for you, you aren't one to jump overboard. You're a fighter." Jack's words hit home for her, and no matter how hard she tried, she would never be able to describe the emotion she felt. "I'll take another beer if you're offering. Let me get them though." He grabbed the empty bottles from Rose and was back in less than a minute with two fresh beers.

Over the lake, a flash of lightning lit up the night sky, but no thunder followed. "That is one thing I love about being here. We had storms in Philly, but I never got to watch one roll in over a lake. I could waste so much time out here just watching them." Rose took a long drink before continuing. "So Jack, I've told you all about myself. What about you? Any skeletons in your closet," she asked.

"Oh sure. I did time in Cook County Jail for killing a guy," he joked. Rose would have spit out her beer if she hadn't known he was kidding. "No not really," he assured her. "I was born in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin. I moved here to Chicago when I was five with my parents. Fabri and I grew up together here. If he wasn't at my house, then I was at his. His parents came here from Florence when they were teenagers. His grandmother still lives in Italy, but in Rome. Him and I met Tommy our first year in high school. The three of us were inseparable. Tommy works for a carpenters union and Fabri and I both went to Columbia College." Jack paused long enough to take a drink. "He actually works at the Art Institute. Yesterday was his day off, or else I could have had him kick Cal out."

Rose laughed at the idea of Cal being thrown to the street. "That would have been a sight to behold. What made you want to go to art school?"

"I was always passionate about it. From the time I could hold a pencil, I was filling up my parents' fridge with art work. I eventually graduated from stick figures and began to draw real people. I've tried doing landscapes and the like. I just suck at that. Claude Monet I am not, that's for sure." The lightning flashed more frequently, and thunder was beginning to faintly rumble in the distance. He admired the way the flashing light reflected off Rose's face.

"How many times did you get your ass kicked for drawing on the walls of the house," Rose teased him. Jack laughed.

"Way too many to count. My parents tried giving me every blank piece of paper they could find. But I liked the wall. Finally my dad taped paper to the wall and it worked. I got better and better. Then my mother gave me a camera for my thirteenth birthday and I fell in love with photography." Jack looked out at the sky. Lightning flashed again, and a long bolt forked down, hitting Lake Michigan. Thunder cracked soon after.

"At least you can do landscapes that way," Rose told him thoughtfully.

"Exactly." Jack finished the last of his beer. "We should probably go inside before we get drenched. Not to mention we're human lightning rods out here." As soon as the words left Jack's mouth, a wind driven rain hit them both, soaking them in seconds. Quickly Rose slid open the balcony door and they both dove inside, Jack slamming the door behind him. "I wonder if Fabri or Tommy will be awake. I'd really hate to have to walk home in this."

Rose looked at Jack, intending to offer him a ride home. Instead, something woke up inside of her that she hadn't felt before. His clothes were stuck to his body, water dripped from his long blond hair. _Rose, stop thinking whatever it is that you're thinking,_ a voice urged. She ignored it. "You know, I happen to have a perfectly good couch right over there," she offered.

"I appreciate that Rose, but I don't really feel like sleeping in wet clothes," he told her. _Who said anything about sleeping in clothes? Whoa Dawson. Slow the hell down!_

Rose shrugged. "I have plenty of sweats and over sized shirts. They're a little girly, but I'm pretty sure they'll fit you." Rose tried very hard to picture Jack in her Hello Kitty nightshirt, but it did little to calm the ache she was feeling.

Whatever it was that Rose was feeling, Jack was beginning to feel it too. "Rose," he whispered, not knowing how to even begin to attempt putting up a fight. She walked up to him and placed a single finger to his lips to silence him. The light touch drove Jack crazy. His arms seemed to have a mind of their own as he wrapped them around her waist. Any warning bells that might have been going off in their head were silenced when their lips met met. They both seemed to understand what the other wanted, and the evening was not going to end with that kiss.


	9. Afterglow

**A/N: Thanks for the reviews! As always, they encourage me to keep on writing. This chapter is pure fluff, because later on in the story it won't be as fluffy. So they deserve it right now.**

Rose rolled over, feeling the warmth of Jack's body next to hers. Quietly, she sighed, feeling content. Laying on her stomach, she opened her eyes. Jack was still peacefully asleep, his hair falling over his closed eyes. Recalling the bliss they shared the during the night, she smiled.

Jack had proven to be a very unselfish lover. He made Rose feel things she never knew possible, and pleased her in every way he knew. At one point while she was under his naked body, she found herself concerned about his cracked ribs and said as much. He silenced her fears with a gentle kiss on her throat that drove her insane. When the passion had eased, he pulled her into his arms. Before falling asleep, she had felt him gently kiss her shoulder and whisper about her beauty.

She reached over and gingerly brushed the hair from his eyes. _He keeps talking about my beauty. Has he ever looked in a mirror and seen his own?_ Rose traced his cheek with her thumb, and ran it over his soft lips. She smiled when he kissed her thumb gently.

"Good morning beautiful," he said, his voice barely above a whisper. He reached out with his arm and pulled her to him. "Did it hurt," he asked, with a silly grin on his face.

"Did what hurt," Rose wondered, somewhat confused.

"The fall from heaven," Jack replied before kissing her tenderly. Rose laughed.

"Oh now you start with the cheesy pick up lines? Judging from the position we're in right now, you didn't need those to start with," Rose pointed out. "Not that I mind," she assured him. She snuggled up to his chest, listening to his heart beat.

"You hungry," Jack asked her, somewhat absentmindedly. "I can make some breakfast if you want," he offered.

Rose pulled away to look at him. "Jack, that sounds wonderful. But there's one small problem," she said, trying not to laugh. "I have absolutely no breakfast food at all."

Jack sat up, careful not to wince. His ribs were throbbing this morning, but he didn't want Rose to notice. "Let's see here. You don't own flower vases. You don't own breakfast food. Please tell me you at least own a coffee pot?"

"Why? Starbucks is just down the on the corner." Jack rolled his eyes. "I'll admit it, I have a tiny addiction to their lattes. Is that so bad," she asked, pouting.

"Not when you put it like that," Jack told her, referring to her bottom lip sticking out. "How's about I go get us some food then? And what kind of latte do you prefer madam?"

"I feel like vanilla this morning. No fat, extra foam. And as far as food, whatever looks good, I won't object." While part of her would kill for her morning coffee, another part of her didn't want Jack to get out of the bed. But he did, as he reached down to grab his boxers, she couldn't help but enjoy the rear view of him. "Nice ass," she said with a giggle.

Pulling them on, he turned and smiled. "Thanks." He grabbed his shirt and jeans, both still slightly damp, but no longer soaked and threw them on. "I'll be back soon. That's an extra fat, no foam latte right," he teased her as he leaned over to kiss her.

Rose giggled, "Right. Hurry back." Jack winked at her before turning to run the quick errand. Rose let her head drop back to the pillow. No sooner did she close her eyes to relive last night in her mind, than her phone rang. Groaning, Rose reached over and pulled it out of her jeans pocket.

"Hey Bran. What's up?" Rose was reminded she had promised lunch with her best friend this afternoon. But what she really wanted was to stay in bed all day with Jack. If the living room didn't get painted, well it wasn't going anywhere.

"Hey Rose. Do you think we can reschedule lunch? I got called into work. Carla called off this morning, her youngest has the stomach flu." Rose felt slightly guilty as relief filled her.

"Sure no problem," Rose told her, failing to hide the smile in her voice. Brandy caught it.

"So, how was yesterday? Anything exciting happen?" Rose felt her smile widen.

"Jack just left to get something from Starbucks, I'm pretty sure you can guess what that means," she told Brandy. Brandy laughed.

"Rose! Are you serious? I cannot believe this! Alright, listen, I'm walking into the ER right now, but we will make up the lunch date, and I want to know everything," Brandy told her.

"It's a deal. I gotta go, I want to shower before he gets back." Rose threw back the sheet and climbed from her bed.

"Why don't you wait and shower with him," Brandy teased. Rose laughed, thinking it was a good idea. But she had other ideas. "I'll talk to you later Rose. Bye."

Rose hung up the phone and saw the battery was running low. She plugged it in to the charger and grabbed some clean clothes and headed to the bathroom to jump in the shower. Which is exactly where she wanted to be when she heard Jack walk back into the condo.

"Rose," Jack called. He tossed the bag from Starbucks on the table and realized he heard the water running.

"I'm in the shower," she hollered back. Quickly she rinsed the shampoo out of her hair. "Care to join me?"

Jack pulled back the shower curtain, already naked. "I guess great minds think alike," he told her, with a sexy edge to his voice. Rose smiled and stepped back so he could step in. He kissed her before whispering, "Turn around, I'll wash your back."

Rose turned around and pulled her hair over her shoulder, allowing Jack to caress her back. Despite the warm water, his hands sliding her her back gave her goosebumps. She leaned into his touch until he was able to fully slide his arms around her stomach. He kissed her neck, enjoying the feel of her wet skin against his lips.

Turning to face him, Rose wrapped her arms around her neck, and allowed Jack to gently push her up against the wall. She raised her leg and wrapped it around his hips, which Jack grabbed a hold of to brace her as he began to make love to her.

_**...**_

"Do you really have to go to work in the morning," Jack asked as he snuggled close to Rose.

She laughed. "Yes Jack I do. This condo won't pay for itself," she joked. He kissed her cheek and she smiled. "Jack. Today was one of the best days I've ever had. Thank you."

Jack brushed a stray curl from her face before kissing her. It had been a great day. After their shower, they managed to finish painting the living room. Throughout the day, they learned more and more about each other. Jack told her his parents had moved back to Wisconsin, and Rose told him how great of a friend she had found in Brandy. Rose found frozen hamburger patties in the freezer and Jack cooked them on the small grill on the patio. After eating, they drank a few beers in the living room, watching a movie. Jack hadn't intended on staying the night again. But now that they were in bed with each other, he knew he had no intention of going home until the following morning.


	10. A Frighting Discovery

**A/N: As always, thanks for the reviews! I am really in love with this story, glad you are too! There is a little bit of language in here, but not much. Just a friendly heads up.**

Four weeks had passed since Jack and Rose gave into their physical desires. Everyday that passed the attraction grew stronger. They eased into their relationship as if it were the most natural thing in the world. Unless Rose was working throughout the night, they never slept apart. Any and all concerns of things happening too fast were never acknowledged, as both of them just went with the flow of things. But all of that changed a week later when Rose barely made it to the bathroom in time to empty her stomach.

_**...**_

"Oh my God, I feel like shit," Rose moaned while laying on the couch. Brandy handed her another cool wash cloth for her to lay over her eyes. "I am never eating from that place again. Ever." Rose had been vomiting on and off all day, forcing her to call off work. She was grateful Brandy had stayed over last night. Jack had a boys' night with Tommy and Fabri, so Rose treated her and Brandy to a girls' night.

"It's so funny," Brandy began. "I ate the exact same thing as you, and I'm not sick." Rose opened her eyes long enough to glare at her friend.

"Do you really have to rub it in that you have a stronger stomach than I do?" Rose closed her eyes quickly then, as the room began to spin on her. She had yet to call Jack. She wanted to very badly, but didn't have the strength. Also, she didn't want to cut off the conversation to go be sick.

"Rose, I'm not bragging. But I've been where you've been." Since Rose's eyes were closed, she didn't notice Brandy going through her day planner. "When was your period due?"

What Brandy was trying to imply shook Rose out her nauseous state. "What?"

"Did you skip it?" Rose started to count the weeks out in her head. "It didn't come last Sunday did it?" Rose then noticed Brandy not only holding her day planner, but also pointing to the previous Sunday. The date circled in red.

"No. No. Brandy, we used protection. I can't be," Rose exclaimed, deliberately skipping the word pregnant.

"Every time? You guys didn't get too carried away at any point?" Brandy recalled Rose sharing how passionate they were with each other.

"Yes! Every single," Rose stopped as it hit her. "Fuck! The shower." Brandy stood up and grabbed her purse. "Where are you going?"

"To get a pregnancy test. I'll be back in ten. Whatever you do, do not pee while I'm gone."

_**...**_

Rose stared at the little pink plus sign. _What was it that Juno said? That little pink plus sign is so unholy. Yeah well, Juno was sixteen, you're thirty one. You should know better Rose._

"Do you want me to call him," Brandy asked her, putting her arm around around Rose.

"What?" Still numb, Rose hadn't even thought of Jack, despite the fact that she was carrying his child. "No," she told Brandy firmly.

"Are you going to?" Rose's phone rang just then. She could tell by the ring tone that it was Jack. "Rose," Brandy said, attempting to snap her out of it.

Rose handed her phone to Brandy. "Just tell him I'm sick."

_**...**_

Jack was getting more worried by the second, and pacing around his apartment. Brandy had told him Rose was ill with some kind of stomach bug. Claiming the Rose was asleep, Brandy promised to let Rose know he had called. That was yesterday around noon. A full twenty four hours ago. He was grateful that Tommy and Fabrizio had left for the day to work, as his pacing would have drove them insane. His phone, on the kitchen counter, rang. Diving for it, he saw it was Brandy's number.

"Brandy. How's Rose?" Jack tried, but failed to keep the worry from his voice.

"Still sick. You know that saying about how doctors make the worst patients? It's true. She's keeping very little down Jack. So far she's not dehydrated, but she will be soon if this keeps up. I have to get to work. Can you come over and stay with her?" Rose held her head in her hands as Brandy worked her way through the lie.

"I'll be there in twenty minutes. Thanks Brandy." Jack tossed his phone in his pocket and grabbed his keys. He was extremely thankful he had gotten a car last week.

"He's on his way," Brandy told Rose. Rose nodded, feeling guilty for making Jack believe she was really sick. She grabbed what felt like her millionth tissue and pressed it over her eyes.

_**...**_

Jack was there in fifteen minutes. Brandy gathered up her belongings to leave. She had offered to stay there with Rose, but Rose knew she needed to do this alone.

"How is she?" Jack didn't wait for an invite, and walked in.

"She's asleep right now," Brandy told him. It was the truth, Rose had dozed off ten minutes ago. "I think she'll be better now that you're here Jack."

"Thank you for calling me. I'll let you know if anything happens." Brandy simply smiled in thanks.

Walking towards the door, Brandy stopped and turned to face him. "Jack?" He turned at the sound of his name. "Just...just take care of her okay?" _She's like a sister to me. You break her heart and I'll break your face_, she added silently.

"I will Bran. I promise." Brandy turned and left, more assured than Rose was at the moment that Jack wouldn't bail.

_**...**_

Two hours had passed. Rose slept quietly on the couch. She looked like death warmed over. There were dark circles under her eyes and her hair looked as if rats had nested in it. Every half hour or so, Jack had lightly touched her forehead, making sure she wasn't running a fever.

Now he laid down on the floor next to the couch, staring at the ceiling. He was so busy hoping Rose would be okay that he didn't notice her eyes flutter open.

Seeing him laying on the floor, the corners of his eyes wet with tears, Rose almost broke down again. Managing to keep calm, and taking slow, even breaths so as not to get sick, she gingerly reached down and took his hand in hers.

"Rose," he said sitting up. "Baby are you okay?" Hearing the sincere, gentle concern in his voice, fresh tears fell from her eyes. "Hey, hey, it's alright Rose."

"No," she croaked, her throat burning from being sick so much. "It's not Jack." Three days ago, she was certain she was going to fall in love with him. Now she was afraid she'd never see him again.

He stroked her cheek, drying her tears as he did so. "Rose. You're scaring me. What's wrong?" Taking a deep breath before, she said what he needed to know.

"I'm pregnant."


	11. Our Miracle

**A/N: In case you were wondering, I decided to start naming the chapters. I really hope you guys like it! Thanks for the reviews!**

All of the air felt as if it had been sucked out of the room. Jack sat there, feeling like he got punched in the gut. _Pregnant? I got her pregnant?_ Sitting there in mid panic, Jack could barely comprehend it. He was suddenly pulled from his thoughts when Rose jumped from the couch, pushed past him, and flew into the bathroom. He didn't have to think twice about following her, his heart aching at the sound of her vomiting.

Even though there was nothing left in her stomach, Rose continued to dry heave. Before she felt Jack's cool hands on the back of her neck, she felt him walk in behind her. Without saying a word, he pulled her long curls from her hands, allowing her to brace herself against the toilet. Without thinking, he reached his hand under her shirt and traced his fingers up and down her back, calming her down.

After a few minutes, Rose felt well enough to sit back. Her entire body was shaking from wrenching and her mouth tasted foul. Jack steadied her as she leaned back against the wall. He could feel her sweating, and decided holding her would not be in her best physical interest. Instead, he sat next to her, pulling his knees to his chest. They sat together in silence, allowing reality to begin to sink in.

Rose felt herself begin to doze off. She knew she had a queen size bed in the other room, but she was so exhausted, both physically and emotionally, she didn't care if she slept all night on the bathroom floor. That was her last thought before sleep engulfed her.

Jack felt Rose's head slump onto his shoulder. Her breathing was deep and even, and he knew she was asleep. He stood, careful not to let her fall over. Then, almost inches at a time, he picked her up and carried her to bed. She didn't even flinch as he placed her in the bed and pulled the covers up over her. He kissed her forehead.

"Sleep well Rose. I'll be here when you wake up," he whispered.

_**...**_

Jack blinked and looked at the clock on the laptop. It read three in the morning. He got up to grab another Coke from the fridge, careful to be quiet. He had gotten a few fitful hours of sleep on the floor next to Rose's bed. Waking with a start, Jack found himself unable to fall back asleep. Though it had been tempting to climb into the bed with Rose, he was afraid that the tiniest jostle would awaken her and send her running for the bathroom. Instead, he came out here and began to look on line for pregnancy articles.

He was still numb. The fact that he had created a baby was floating in his brain, but wouldn't settle in. He hadn't planned to become a father for a long time. So until that reality sank in that he was going to be a father, he focused his energy on finding relief for Rose's nausea.

There were thousands, if not millions of hits on every search engine. He scrolled through them, not having the slightest clue what he was really looking for. The hours passed slowly for him. He heard Rose turn over and groan a few times in her sleep. Each time his heart rate increased. Once he realized she was still out of it, it returned to normal. _Screw it,_ he decided. _If I don't get anymore sleep tonight, so be it._ Ignoring his tired eyes, he continued to clink the links.

_**...**_

Rose rubbed her eyes, afraid to open them. She didn't know what scared her more, that the room would start spinning, or that Jack would be gone. Instead of opening her eyes, she called out to him, praying for an answer.

"Jack?" She flinched at the pain in her throat. Even her sinus cavities were throbbing. "Jack," she called again, a little louder. She heard footsteps, recognizing them as his.

"Don't get up Rose," he told her as he walked through the doorway. Her eyes opened, and thankfully the room did not spin. She reached out and took his hand.

"You stayed here last night?" The last thing she recalled was sitting against the bathroom wall. "Did you put me in bed?"

Jack's smile was simple, but sincere. "Yes, to both." He handed her a package of plain saltine crackers.

"What's this?" Her stomach rumbled at the sight of food, but it was a hungry rumble. Jack helped her scoot up so she could eat them.

"I stayed up last night and read pretty much everything I could about easing that so called 'morning' sickness," he told her, making finger quotes around the word morning.

"Morning my ass. So then crackers are the answer?" Rose didn't wait for a response. Instead she tore open the package and grabbed a cracker. After a few nibbles, she realized what Jack had done for her. "Why Jack?"

He sat next to her on the bed. "Why are crackers the answer?" He assumed that's what she had meant.

Rose shook her head. "No. Why did you stay up all night to do that?" To her surprise, she felt slightly better as the crackers hit her empty stomach.

"I need a reason?" Rose felt the corners of her mouth lift into a small smile at his words. "Because Rose, I care about you. I don't like seeing you in pain. It was ripping me apart last night to watch you suffer like that." A tear escaped from his eyelid. "It killed me Rose."

Rose needed a moment to mull over his words. "Can you get me some water Jack?"

"Sure." Jack gave her hand a small squeeze before going to the kitchen. _He cares about you Rose. He didn't run out the door when you told him you're pregnant. He's going to stay by your side throughout this._ "Here honey," Jack said pulling her from her thoughts. "It's watered down Gatorade. It'll help balance out the water and electrolytes you've been losing."

Rose took a few sips, enjoying the way the cold beverage eased the itchy burn in her throat. "Thank you," she told him, placing the glass on the nightstand.

"It's no trouble," he assured her, again sitting on the bed.

"I wasn't thanking you for the water. Well I was, but not only for it." Rose felt tears begin to well up in her eyes. "Thank you for caring enough about me to not run out the door."

"Rose," Jack said. He took her hand in his. "That's not who I am. I don't run from things that scare me. Yes, I'm scared," he said, replying to the look of skepticism on her face.

"What are you scared of Jack?" She tugged his arm a little, and he followed her lead, laying down next to her and placing his head on her chest.

"I could fill up the walls of this room with the things I'm terrified of right now Rose. I mean, my life, _our lives_ were just turned upside down for starters. We've just entered this relationship. We never discussed anything like this happening."

"It wouldn't have if I hadn't enticed you into that shower," Rose stated. Jack lifted his head to look at her.

"Don't you do that Rose. Don't start blaming yourself. It took two of us to make this baby. If you're going to jump on the blame train, then I'm gonna have to jump on there with you and pull you off. And what makes you think it happened in the shower?" He knew they hadn't used protection, but he also knew that no birth control was fail proof.

"We didn't use anything," Rose answered simply. Jack reached behind him and pulled the drawer of the nightstand open.

"Last time I checked," he pulled the box of condoms out. "Yep. Ninety eight percent effective," he read off the label.

"So?" Jack tossed the box to the side and put his hand to her face, turning her to look at him.

"So it could have happened anytime we had sex Rose." She opened her mouth to protest, but Jack cut her off. "Yes, the chances are higher that it happened when we weren't being careful. But we'll never know for sure."

Rose found herself comforted by his reassurance. But there was one question that weighed heavily on her mind. She wanted to ignore it and shove it away, but it refused to budge.

"Jack. Do you want to have this baby?"

A whole new fear came to light for him. _Please don't be thinking about getting an abortion._ "Yes, I do Rose. I'm won't lie to you though. Am I ready to have a baby? No. But I have nine months to get myself ready." He had to ask. "Sweetheart, you're not thinking of getting-"

"No! God no." Taking a deep breath, she told him something she never thought she'd tell anyone. "A couple years ago, Cal got me pregnant. He never knew it, and I didn't want children at the time. I terminated the pregnancy and regret it still to this day. Even thought I'm scared shitless right now, I would never do that again. Ever."

"You are the most amazing woman that I've ever met. Do you know that?" She smiled through her falling tears. "Listen to me. We're going to make this work. One way or another. I swear Rose." He laid his hand on her stomach, knowing it would soon be swollen. "We made a baby. It's not a mistake. It's a miracle."

Rose let her hand drop to cover his. "It's our miracle," she told him.


	12. It'll Be Okay

**A/N: Thanks for reviewing!**

"Hey Jack," Fabri greeted him as he walked through the door. Instead of answering, Jack walked into his room and grabbed a few days worth of clothes. _I may as well move in, _he thought. _Although better not to push things,_ he decided. Grabbing a shirt of the floor, he gave it a quick sniff test, wrinkled his nose, and tossed it into the dirty clothes pile. He didn't see Fabrizio appear in the doorway. Instead he moved to and fro, finding clean clothes and tossing them on the bed. Farbi watched, half amused, half worried. "Jack?"

Jack jumped. "Jesus Farbi! You scared the shit out of me," he exclaimed. "What's up?" He dug around his closet, looking for a small duffel bag.

"I should be asking you the same thing. What's gotten into you?" The apartment door slammed shut as Tommy walked in.

"Hey Fabri," he called. "Jack in there?"

"Yeah. He's cleaning his room," Fabri called back. Jack barely heard the small conversation as he finally found what he was looking for. _I have really got to get in here and clean one of these days,_ he thought to himself.

"What pissed him off," Tommy joked, coming to stand next to Fabri. Both of them were actually enjoying the sight. Jack was a neat freak in the entire apartment. The kitchen, bathroom, and living room was spotless. Behind closed doors, he wasn't so neat. The only time he cleaned in here was when he was having a bad day. "What is that," Tommy asked, pointing.

"The floor," Fabri told him. While the both knew Rose had been sick, they assumed it was a cold, and didn't think anything of it.

"I'm not having a bad day. I'm just burning off nervous energy, okay?" Jack grabbed a few pairs of socks from the dresser drawer and tossed them in the bag. "Rose is pregnant," he blurted out. If it had been a practical joke, the looks on the guys' faces would have been priceless. "Seriously," he asserted.

The sight of the duffel bag suddenly made sense. "So are you moving in with her?"

"No Fabri. We haven't gotten that far ahead yet. She just found out this morning. I'm just going to stay there for a few days, and I don't want to have to worry about clean clothes." Jack zipped the bag closed and collapsed backwards onto the bed. "Shit."

"What are you going to do then?" Jack propped himself up on his arms, looking at Tommy who asked the question.

"What do you mean, what am I gonna do? I'm going to be a father. That's what I'm going to do," Jack said firmly. "Holy shit, I'm having a baby."

"Jack. Get up. Come have a beer. And relax. You don't need to go back to Rose's all flipped out," Fabri told him.

_**...**_

"So he didn't bail then?" Rose took another sip of Gatorade before answering.

"No he didn't." Brandy had called the first chance she got, and instead of saying hello or asking how Rose was feeling, those had been the first words out of her mouth. "He actually left a little while ago to get some clean clothes and stay here for a few days."

"Well that's a good thing," Brandy told her. "How did he react?"

Rose recalled the look on his face. Now that she felt confident that things would be okay, the image in her memory made her smile. "Well he sat there dumbstruck for a few minutes until I got sick. Then he was amazing Bran. He held my hair back and scratched my back to calm me down while I was heaving my guts out."

"I feel his pain," Brandy joked. Her and Rose had shared a few nights like that.

"Shut up," Rose said, smiling. _And I didn't think I'd smile for a long time._ "Anyways, I guess I either fell asleep or passed out on the bathroom floor. He put me in bed and stayed up half the night looking for ways to ease my nausea."

"Did you guys discuss anything else," Brandy asked her. She didn't hide the concern in voice.

"We're having the baby," Rose said matter of factly. Saying it made it sink in just a little further. Rose felt a temporary moment of panic, but managed to fight it off. "But we haven't gotten farther than that. For now though, every thing's okay." She allowed Brandy to hear the calm in her voice.

Rose heard the door click shut behind her, and turned to see Jack standing there. He gave her a smile before tossing his bag into the bedroom. He returned to see Rose was no longer on the phone.

"Hey sweetie," he greeted her, dropping a kiss on her forehead. "How are you feeling?" He laid down on the couch and placed his head in her lap.

"Honestly? I'm afraid to say. I don't wanna jinx it." As she spoke, Jack reached into his pocket and handed her something. "What's this?"

"They're acupressure bracelets. They're supposed to really help ease that so-called morning sickness." Jack had a half grin on his face, which Rose found adorable.

"Jack, thank you. I've heard of these. Is this something else you found on line," she asked. Rose took them out of the small container and figured out the correct way to put them on.

"No. While I was getting my things together, I kind of blurted out to Tommy and Fabri that you were pregnant. Tommy's mom used these when she was pregnant with his younger brother." He sat up and looked at her. "I'm sorry I said it, it just came out. I hope you're not upset."

Rose squeezed his hand. "No Jack. Why should I be? Don't worry about it," she assured him.

"Rose, do you really things going to be okay? I heard you talking to Brandy." She touched his face.

"Yes Jack I do. I don't know why I do, but I do." He felt warmth in her words, and hugged her.

"This whole thing is just so crazy." Rose laughed, pulling from his hug to look in her eyes.

"I know. It doesn't make any sense at all does it? Maybe that's why I trust it." Jack saw her eyes sparkle as she said the words. He kissed her lips quickly. She returned the kisses, but was then cut off by a huge yawn.

Jack laughed. "Come on Rose. We both need our sleep." He held out his hand to her which she took and slowly stood up. She was exhausted, and she knew Jack was as well. He led her to the room. Rose found the bed so appealing, she didn't even bother pulling the sheets back. She laid down and was out before her head hit the pillow.

Jack smiled to himself as he kicked off his shoes and stepped out of his jeans. Instead of climbing under the covers, he just laid down next to her, falling asleep almost as quickly.

**A/N: In case any of my readers get pregnant and suffer "morning" sickness, (like Rose said, morning my ass!) the acupressure bracelets I mention are the best solution EVER! **


	13. We Made This

The days that followed got better bit by bit. The acupressure bracelets Rose wore made her feel about ninety five percent better. She also discovered that if her stomach was never totally empty, she never got nauseous. She had told her superiors at work of her pregnancy almost immediately, not wanting to cause any problems. They were surprised, but supportive, allowing her to remain a part of the OR team as long as she felt she could handle it.

Jack prepared for the beginning of the new school year, and had all but taken up permanent residence in Rose's condo. They both thought of him officially moving in with her, but so far neither had mentioned it. Every few days however, Rose shooed him away for clean clothes and to hang out with his friends. He didn't like not being away from her, but he didn't want to drive her crazy either. But he returned every time with a bunch of flowers. Except the first time, when he had returned with a box of chocolates and Rose couldn't stand the smell of them.

They had discussed doctors, and Rose could only think of Dr. Harth. She was a brilliant OB/GYN who had assisted Rose in emergency surgery twice. Her first appointment and ultrasound were set two weeks after Rose found out she was pregnant, which is were both her and Jack now were at.

Rose sat on the hospital bed, in nothing but the hideous gown. She was nervous, but calm at the same time. Jack was just nervous. And a little bored with waiting. Rose found out quickly it was an amusing combination.

"Jack. Would you sit down? You're making me dizzy," she joked at him. He laughed and stopped pacing.

"Sorry. I hate doctors' offices. All I can remember is getting shots." _Men really are babies,_ she thought. He kissed her cheek. "I'm just really excited too, and a little nervous."

"So am I," she replied. Jack's eyes caught something shiny, the speculum, on the table. "Don't ask. You don't want to know what's for," Rose told him, reading is mind. A slight knock on the door and Dr. Harth entered.

"Hello Rose," she greeted. "And you must be Jack," she said, turning to Jack. He took her hand, shaking it.

"Yes. Glad to meet you Dr. Harth." The doctor chuckled.

"Oh please. Call me Katie. Rose and I are colleagues, and if she can call me by my first name, so can you. So Rose. Do you have any idea about how far along you might be?"

"Maybe about five or six weeks? I'm not one hundred percent certain." Jack remained at Rose's side, and she took his hand.

"Well give me the day of your last period, and we'll go from there." Rose tried not to laugh when Jack closed his eyes and gave his head a little shake. "And then we might get a more certain idea on the ultrasound."

Rose and Katie discussed her medical history for a few more minutes before Katie took a seat on the stool. Knowing she had to lay back on the bed, Rose did. She gave Jack's hand a tug, pulling him to stand by her head. "It might be less traumatizing for you up here," she joked, as Katie began the extensive pelvic exam.

"He may as well get used to it. Before you know it you'll be shoving a baby out," Katie chimed in. Jack felt himself turn a deep shade of red, which remained on his face until the exam was through.

"Alright. From this stand point everything looks normal," Katie began as she grabbed her chart. "I've taken everything I need to the necessary tests, and unless something is abnormal with those, I'll see you again in about four weeks," she said with a smile. "You can throw your pants on, but ultrasound is just down the hall. So I don't see much sense in taking the gown off since you'll just have to put it back on."

"Thanks Katie. I'll see you later," Rose said. Katie said good-bye and left to see other patients. "See Jack? That wasn't so bad was it?"

He handed Rose her sweats before replying. "No I guess it wasn't. At least not from my standpoint. You're the one who has to go through of this. I'm just here for moral support," he joked, but with sincerity in his last sentence.

Rose tied her sweats and grabbed his purse before slapping him in the arm. "Come on. Let's go see our baby."

_**...**_

Jack and Rose stared silently at the peanut sized image on the screen. It wasn't big. It didn't even look like a baby. It actually looked more like a really tiny and deformed lizard. But it was the most beautiful thing they had ever seen.

The ultrasound tech took all the proper measurements as Jack and Rose continued to stare in awe. Although it was too tiny to be felt by Rose, the embryo made tiny, jerky movements.

"Do you see that tiny flicker in the middle of the embryo?" The tech's voice grabbed their attention. "That, is your baby's heartbeat. And this," she flipped a switch and a sound came on. It sounded like a miniature horse stampeding through the room. "Is what is sounds like."

"My God Rose! Do you hear that?" Jack's voice was barely above a whisper. Rose, unable to find words, nodded. She was surprised when a tear of joy snaked down her cheek. They could have stared all day at the tiny, jerky, deformed lizard shaped embryo with the miniature horse stampede of a heartbeat all day and never get tired of it.

_**...**_

Rose hadn't stopped staring at the picture of their child since it was placed in her hands. She held it one hand, as Jack was gripping her other. The drive home wasn't bad, but he was worried she was going to trip and fall on her face while walking, and was greatly relieved when they reached the living room couch.

"Do you think it'll be a boy or a girl," Jack asked her. He handed her a Sprite and opened his own.

"I really don't care Jack. I just want our baby to be happy and healthy." Rose finally ripped her eyes from the picture to look into Jack's eyes. "_Our_ baby Jack. _We_ made this."

Jack reached out and stroked her cheek. "We did Rose." He put his soda can on the table and took hers and the picture from her hands before entwining his fingers in hers. "It was all kind of a blur before I saw it on the screen."

Rose smiled. "I felt the same way. But he or she is in here," she said, leading his hand to her stomach. "It's in here moving around and has a beating heart. And even though I can't see it or feel it right now, I love this baby."

He moved his hand around on her belly, kind of tickling her in the process. "I bet it loves you too Rose. How could it not? I do." Jack realized what he was saying about five seconds too late and froze. _Did I just tell her that I love her?_

"W-what did you just say?" _He just told you he loves you and you stutter?_ Jack took a deep breath, knowing he wouldn't have said it if it wasn't true.

"I said I love you Rose. It didn't come out exactly as I wanted it to, but-" Rose silenced him with a kiss. He wrapped his arms around her as he felt her push him down on the couch. Jack swore he was seeing stars. Rose had kissed him passionately before, but they were just peck compared to the way she was kissing him now.

Rose pulled her lips away from Jack's for just a moment. She opened her eyes, and he could she they were damp from tears.

"I love you too Jack. I love you so much." Her lips returned to his. They had not made love since she found out she was pregnant; Rose hadn't felt up to it, and Jack wasn't one to push the issue. But with their love for each other declared, they simply couldn't stop the heat in their bodies.


	14. Two Big Decisions

**A/N: Thanks for all the reviews everyone! If you're worried about Without You, don't be. I'm wrapping it up in my head and soon it'll be on your computer screen.**

Rose stretched her arms out and opened her eyes. She could see that it was a cloudy day out her window, and a few snowflakes danced down from the sky. For a few minutes, she enjoyed having her bed all to herself. Jack was back at school, teaching a new batch of photography students.

She had just entered her four month. Her first trimester symptoms were pretty much gone. She'd been able to go without her acupressure bracelets, and she had a new energy. Although she wasn't really showing, her stomach was beginning to swell just a bit. Rose had also learned what all those pregnancy cravings were about. If Jack would allow it, she'd eat sour candy for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. But he made sure she was getting enough nutrition and eating properly.

Thanksgiving was coming upon them quickly and Rose found herself very much looking forward to it. They had planned to have a huge feast at Rose's. Brandy would be there, as it was the year her kids spent Thanksgiving with their dad in Ohio. Tommy and Fabrizio would be there as well. Rose smiled to herself, recalling when Brandy and Tommy had met. With Jack mostly out of the apartment, Tommy and Fabri had decided to throw a Halloween party. Of course Jack and Rose went, and Brandy's sister took the kids trick-or-treating out in the suburbs that night, so Brandy came along as well. It was like love at first sight and Brandy and Tommy were pretty much joined at the hip now. _ Poor Fabri, we need to get him a girl,_ Rose thought to herself.

Throwing the covers off herself, she got out of bed. She was glad it was her day off. Looking out the window, she decided it was a day to sit in front of her computer and do a little on line shopping. Christmas would be here soon, and she needed to get started on her list. She found a pair of old jeans and a sweatshirt and started to get dressed.

The sweatshirt fit just fine. The jeans were entirely a different story. When they first wouldn't zip, Rose wasn't surprised. But they were her favorite pair, well worn in and comfortable. So she flopped herself backwards on the bed and tried to fix the problem that way. The zipper went up, but only about half way. Rose struggled to finish it and finally managed. Next was the button, but no matter how hard she tried, the button kept falling shy of the button hole. Finally, she took a deep breath in and secured it. She exhaled. The button promptly came undone. Frustrated at this, Rose kicked her jeans off, curled up on the bed and began to cry.

"Rose. Where are you at?" Jack heard a sniffle come from the bedroom, and he briskly walked there worried. He saw Rose curled up on the bed with a mess of tissues around her. Her eyes were red from crying, and Jack sat next to her. "Honey, what's wrong? Is it the baby?" He went from stroking her shoulder to rubbing her belly.

"No. The baby's fine Jack. I'm just having a bad day," she told him, trying not to sob in process. "I can't fit into my jeans anymore," she moaned.

Jack found it extremely hard to suppress a smile, and had to bite on his bottom lip to hold it in. He snorted in an effort to hold back a laugh. When Rose saw and heard this, she suddenly realized how ridiculous she was being.

"Rose, I'm no expert on the situation. But isn't that what's suppose to happen?" Jack's smile broke through as he said the words.

"I guess so," she said with a little laugh. "It was just such a shock. Plus I struggled with the pants for about ten minutes before I gave up," she told him.

"How long have you been crying," he asked. Jack was upset he hadn't been here to comfort Rose when it happened, but the amusing nature of the situation was making it really hard for him not to laugh.

Rose moved her head and looked at the clock. "Two hours." That did it. Jack burst out in laughter. "Are you laughing at me," she asked sarcastically.

"No Rose! I swear I'm not, I'm laughing _with_ you. You just aren't laughing yet." Rose reached her arms around his neck and pulled him down next to her. Then she climbed on top of him, and pinned him beneath her. "If this is going where I think it's going, I should laugh at you more," he grinned.

"Ha! I knew it! You were laughing at me," she told him. Her grin told Jack she had intentions, but they weren't exactly as he thought. She bent down to kiss him, distracting him enough to get her hands under his arms and begin tickling him.

"Okay! Okay! You win Rose," Jack screamed. He took a deep breath, trying to get some air. "You win." Rose stopped tickling him, and stretched out beside him.

"You bet your ass I win," she told him. He moved closer to kiss her. "Is that all I get for winning?" He smiled before kissing her again. Jack wrapped his arms around her, pulling her back on top of him.

_**...**_

Rose sighed peacefully. Her head lay on Jack's chest. They were both drenched in sweat, but neither seemed to mind much. She traced little circles on his skin.

"What are you thinking about," she asked him.

"Just hoping you don't freak out more as you get bigger," he teased.

"I'm pregnant. I have hormonal swings. I'm allowed to be insane once in awhile," Rose replied jokingly.

"I guess you're right. Women are lucky. You get to use hormones as an excuse for a lot of thing," he told her.

"Meanwhile men can pee standing up. It balances out," she joked. "Is that really what you're thinking about?"

"Yes and no. I was actually thinking about something completely different." Rose pulled herself from his hold and propped herself up on her elbow. "I was talking to my mom this morning," he began. "And I told her about this amazing girlfriend I have." Rose couldn't think of anything to reply with so Jack cut to the chase. "She wants to meet you. My dad too."

"Did you tell them I was pregnant?" It was the only thing Rose could think of to say.

Jack shook his head. "No, not yet. I'd rather talk it over with you first. And I'd be pretty upset at missing the look on their faces."

"What if they don't like me?" Jack brushed a stray curl from her face.

"They already like you. They knew I was in a car accident, but they were on a cruise at the time and it was impossible to get home. Once mom found out that I'm not only dating a surgeon, but the same one that saved my life, she was hooked. And as for you being pregnant, don't worry. My parents are the most open minded people I know."

Rose laid her head back, thinking. Jack watched her as she did so, amused by the crinkle between her eyes as she thought. "I would love to meet your parents Jack. The sooner the better," she told him. He smiled and kissed her. "Jack, can I ask you something? It's been on my mind for a while."

"Ask away babe."

"We're having a baby in five months or so. We spend a great deal of our free time together anyways. And when was the last time we actually slept in separate places?"

"I have no idea. I prefer not to think of sleeping without you. What are you saying Rose?" He knew, but he wanted to hear her say it.

"I want you to move in here with me Jack. I want to live with you." Her smile was beaming with hope.

"Living with the mother of my child, who is also the woman I love," he said. "I can't think of anything that would make me happier Rose." She wrapped her arms around him. "Besides, my closet is almost empty at the apartment." Rose laughed. He always went there to get clothes, but never took any home with him. His clothes had just found their way into the laundry and dressers.

"Jack." Rose stroked his cheek with her thumb. "Do you have any idea how happy you've made me in these past few months?"

"I would imagine it runs along the same scales of happiness you given me."


	15. Meet The Parents

**A/N: No, we won't be meeting any Fockers in this chapter. LOL. Just couldn't think of a better title.**

"Honey, I don't look pregnant in this do I?" Rose held her arms out and showed off her track suit.

Jack shook his head. "Pregnant? No. Fat maybe, but not pregnant," he teased. Rose grabbed the pillow off the bed and whipped it at his head, laughing. "Okay, you don't look fat either."

"I better not." Rose was nervous as could be. Her and Jack were leaving for Wisconsin in just a little while. Thanksgiving had come and gone. Rose's waistline had just gone. She hated to admit it, but she'd rather Jack's parents took her as chubby than pregnant at first sight. She had bought maternity clothes, but she'd wear those after they told his mom and dad that they were going to be grandparents. So she went out and bought an extra large track outfit, which hid her bump pretty well.

"How many shoes do you need woman?" Jack eyed her suitcase and saw at least four pairs in there, whereas he only had the ones on his feet and an extra pair. She smiled.

"Hey, if this was a summer trip, I'd have an entire suitcase full of shoes." Jack gave her a sarcastic eye roll. "Besides, I can't very well wear my tennis shoes with a skirt now can I?"

Jack laughed. "Alright, point taken." He zipped the suitcase closed and grabbed it off the bed. "You ready sweetie?"

"Yup. Let me grab my coat and purse." Rose snapped off the bedroom light and grabbed said items. She took Jack's hand and they left.

_**...**_

"Wow. It's so beautiful here," Rose exclaimed. Even though it was only the end of November, snow had already fallen and stuck to the ground. The highway was behind them now as they entered the city of Chippewa Falls. It was a decent sized city, but of course only a fraction of Chicago's size.

"That's why my parents moved back here. They loved Chicago, but they missed this place. Can't say I blame them. You don't want to murder someone at rush hour here." Jack smiled, recalling the faint memory of leaving here at the age of five. He didn't want to go, but at five, he didn't have much choice.

"Interesting choice of analogies there Jack. So when did they move back here?" Rose tore her gaze from the window to look at him. Since they had decided to come, his face had been on fire with excitement. Now it was brighter than ever.

"The summer after I graduated high school. I had already moved in with the guys, and no longer needed their financial support. They had seen the old house up for sale, and went for it." Jack turned down his parents' street. "It's been at least a year and a half since I've been up here."

Rose felt her pulse quicken as Jack pulled his Dodge Charger into the driveway. "Jack. Tell me again that I don't have to be nervous."

Jack turned the car off and leaned over to kiss her. "Feel whatever emotion you want, but you don't have to be nervous. They're going to love you. But not as much as I do." Rose smiled and kissed him back.

Jack grabbed her hand as she got out of the car, leading her up the driveway. He found the key to his parents' house and opened the door.

"Jack! It's so good to see you!" His mother rose from her seat on the couch and embraced her son. The sight warmed Rose's heart. She knew instantly that her own mother was nothing compared to Jack's. "And you must be Rose. I'm Rachel." Rachel hugged Rose as if she were her own daughter. "It is so good to meet you."

"It's good to meet you too," Rose said back. The love in Rachel's hug was contagious. "Jack hasn't stopped talking about you since we decided to come here."

"All good I hope. Come on and sit by the fire. Jack close the door, you weren't raised in a barn." Rachel took Rose's coat and scarf from her and simply tossed them on a chair nearby.

"Yes mom." Rose saw Jack blush ever so slightly and found it endearing. "Where's dad at?" Jack tossed his own coat on the chair next to Rose's.

"No, he's in back splitting logs," Rachel told him.

"Funny, on the way in, I heard no logs being split," Jack quipped.

"Always trying to get me into trouble with you mother aren't you son?" Jack's dad walked in the room. Rose took one look at the man and saw an older version of Jack.

Jack smiled. "No dad. Never. You can handle that on your own," he teased. "How ya been old man?" He and his father hugged.

"I'd complain, but it wouldn't do me a damn bit of good. You must be the beautiful doctor we've heard so much about," he said turning to Rose. Rose felt herself blush, knowing Jack probably inserted the word beautiful into every conversation about her ten times. "I'm Eric."

Eric wasted no time in giving Rose a big bear hug. "I can see where Jack gets his charm from," she told him.

Eric laughed. "She's a smart one. Keep her," he joked. Rose felt herself smile. In the five minutes they had been there, she felt welcome and at home. Her nerves had quieted down. "Alright Jack, since you tattled on me, how about you help me haul some of these logs in?"

Jack looked at Rose, ready to ask him if she'd be okay. Rose waved a hand at him before he could say anything. "Go. I'll be fine," she assured him. He planted a quick kiss on her cheek and followed his dad through the kitchen and out the back door.

"Would you like anything to drink, or eat," Rachel offered. "We've got plenty."

"Oh no thanks. Jack and I ate about an hour ago," Rose said. "So Jack tells me this is the same house you sold when you moved to Chicago?"

Rachel nodded. "It is. Eric and I saw it while looking for homes up here. It had just gone on the market, and no one even got a chance to look at it. So tell me about yourself Rose."

Rose told her that she was originally from Philly and had moved when she was offered the job at Northwestern. She didn't feel like she had to hide the fact that she had only been divorced for three months when she met Jack. She had been nervous that Rachel would think it was simply a rebound relationship, but Rachel saw the love in Rose's eyes when she talked about Jack.

"Your son is incredible Rachel. He's just so real and honest. On our first date, he took me to the Art Institute, and we had the bad luck of running into Cal. I kind of freaked out, but Jack didn't decide to end things. In fact, he understood." Rose went onto tell Rachel how Jack had completely saved the date, and they spent the next two days painting in her condo.

"Jack thinks you hung the moon Rose. And from the way you speak of him, I can tell you think the same about him. He's always been a happy-go-lucky kind of person, but I've never seen him like this. I guess God works in mysterious ways. He could have been taken to a different hospital, or had a different surgeon."

"It wasn't easy putting him back together in the OR, but it was beyond worth it," Rose said. "Actually the surgery was a cake walk compared to resisting his charms."

Rachel laughed. "You have the envy of every girl he's ever known. Jack was a charmer from the start. The phone never stopped ringing and girls never stopped asking him out. But he was picky, even as a teenager. Oh sure, he's had girlfriends, but none of them could hold a candle to you. And I'm not just talking about your looks. Jack loves you doesn't he?"

Rose felt herself blush. "We often argue about who loves who more." Rose heard the back door open and Jack walked into the room with a bundle of wood.

"And I still say I love you more," Jack said. He stacked the wood next to the fireplace. "You're not talking her ear off are you mom?"

"Yes I am. Do you see her complaining?" Rachel turned to Rose. "Wait until I pull out Jack's baby pictures," she whispered to Rose. Both women laughed.

"What secret are you sharing? You're not telling her about the time I was three and I ran around the front yard naked are you?" Rose burst out into giggles.

"No Jack. You just told her yourself," Rachel told him laughing. Rose was laughing so hard, tears were starting to form. "I was actually telling her about how picky you always were with girls." Jack sat on the couch with Rose, pulling her into his arms.

"It's true, I was," he told her. "It was worth it though." Rose smiled at him. "I couldn't imagine loving anyone else."

"Good," Rachel said. "Because I already love her. She's important to you, she's family to us Jack." Eric walked in just then.

"I try to ask Jack how his job is doing, and all he talks about is you young lady," he told Rose. "Rachel's right, you're family now."

"Maybe I won't have to wait as long as I thought to be a grandma," Rachel quipped. Rose's breath caught and Jack squeezed her hand. Suddenly Jack's heart started racing, as he searched for a way to tell them they'd be grandparents sooner than they thought.

"Actually Rachel, you don't have to wait too much longer." Rachel's jaw fell to the ground. "Jack and I are having a baby in April."


	16. Fun, Love, Memories

**A/N: Rose is just about to enter her fifth month of pregnancy, just so you guys are clear on it. :)**

Rachel and Eric both found themselves to be speechless at Rose's announcement.

"Mom, dad?" Jack suddenly found himself a little concerned at their reaction. Rachel managed to snap out of it first.

"You're having a baby? Are you serious?" Rachel's voice was full of subdued excitement. Rose stood up and unzipped her windbreaker jacket. Underneath was a maternity shirt that hugged her stomach, giving them full view of her small but growing bump. Jack was completely shocked at Rose's courage.

"I'll be officially five months next week," she told them proudly. The pride in her voice reached over to Jack.

"I know it's a complete shock. It was to us too. But we talked about it and we both want this. We don't care that it wasn't planned. All we care about is our much we love our child." Rachel looked to her son, with tears blurring her vision.

"Jack. You know there's nothing in the world we don't think you can't handle. And even though I feel ten years older now, I can't help but be thrilled about this. You two are so in love, it's sickening really." Tears of joy had fallen from her eyes now. She embraced both Jack and Rose at once.

"Aw hell. I'm too young to be a grandfather," Eric said. The other three laughed at his joke.

"Dad, you've already got gray hair," Jack teased. "May as add a grandchild into the mix."

"This here is not gray. It's silver highlights," Eric told him. "Do you know what you're having yet? Has he been waiting on you hand and foot? Because if he hasn't," Eric threatened teasingly.

Rose laughed. "No. We won't know until I have an ultrasound in a couple weeks. As for Jack, you have nothing to worry about Eric. The night I told him, he stayed up all night trying to find something to ease that 'morning' sickness."

Rachel and Eric both beamed with pride. "What did his face look like when you told him," Rachel asked.

"At the time, it really wasn't funny. Looking it back on it now, it was priceless!" Jack smiled, but looked at Rose lovingly.

"All right. Since you all intend to sit here and make fun of me, I'm going to get the bags in from the car." He kissed Rose quick and hopped over the back of the couch. Eric followed to help, leaving Rose and Rachel to talk.

"Are you sure about this son? You met her this summer and you're having a baby before you celebrate an anniversary." Eric grabbed the larger of the suitcases from the truck.

"I'm sure about this all the way dad. I'll be honest, I panicked when she first told me. But the love I have for her overrode that panic. I know it's insane, but we both trust it." Jack slammed the trunk shut. He knew his dad didn't have any doubts, he was just looking out for him.

"You know I just wanted to hear you say it right?" Jack nodded, assuring his dad that he knew.

Eric and Jack walked back into the house. Rose and Rachel were now sitting on the floor, surrounded by photo albums. The two were so involved they didn't even notice the guys walk through. Eric went to the backyard to finish splitting logs while Jack took both suitcases up to the room he and Rose would be staying in before returning.

"Okay mom, which ones are you showing her?" Rose was doubled over, her body shaking with silent laughter. "Me in the bathtub? The one of me asleep with my finger up my nose? Which?"

Rose pulled herself straight and managed to stand up. "None of those even compare to this one!" Rose wiped the tears away that had been pushed out in the midst of all her laughter. "You're just so...well...pretty!"

"Rose, what picture is that?" Jack took a couple steps toward her and she backed away. There was no way she was going to hand it over. "Rose," he said, jokingly threatening her.

"I know you're not going to chase me, tackle me, and wrestle this from me," she said with a grin. Jack threw his hands up, surrendering. Rose walked over, sure he had given up. But he didn't. Faster than she could comprehend, Jack snatched the photo from her fingers and saw what it was.

"Mom! Really? Of all the pictures, you had to show her this one?" Jack couldn't believe she had saved it. Well he could believe it, he just never thought she'd being showing the woman he loved one day. Jack was about eight in the picture. He remembered it clearly. He had had the chicken pox and was bored to tears. He decided it would be fun to put on one of his mom's dresses and high heels, complete with costume jewelry. Then Jack remembered something else. "Where's the one of Fabri?"

"Wait. Fabrizio dressed drag too?" Rose couldn't believe what she was hearing. Rachel handed the picture to Jack and Rose again burst into giggles.

"We were eight. I'd come down with the chicken pox and Fabri's mom sent him over so he'd come down with it too and get it over with. We were bored. And the virus must have given us a fever. Why else would we dress like this?" Jack was smiling the entire time, recalling the funny memory. "It was the first and last time."

"Jack, you always said you'd try anything once when I found you dressed like that," Rachel reminded her son.

Jack smiled. "And the fun things twice. This however, was not fun." Rose cocked an eyebrow at him. "Okay, it was fun at the time. Now it's not." Before he could react, Rose snatched both pictures from him to hand back to Rachel. She shook her head.

"Keep 'em. I've got copies." Jack hung his head in defeat. He'd known his mother would love Rose, but he didn't expect so much love at once. He'd feigned embarrassment, not really caring what Rose knew of his past. He wrapped his arms around Rose and kissed the top of her head.

"Just think, if we have a girl and I'm not there to play tea party with her..." Rose said thoughtfully. Jack rolled his eyes, not even bothering to put up a fight.

The evening wound down quickly. Rachel had been so caught up in the news of Rose's pregnancy, they ended up ordering a pizza. The group shared a few more stories before Rachel and Eric retreated to their room for the night. Jack and Rose followed soon, both exhausted from the long drive and emotions of the day.

"You want to know something cool," Jack asked as he wrapped an arm around her.

"Sure." She yawned loudly. "But make it quick."

"You're the first girl I've ever had in my room." Rose turned over and looked at him.

"What are you talking about?" Then it dawned on her. "Oh, you mean here. You never had any friends that were girls before you moved?"

Jack chuckled. "No. I was five, and girls had cooties." Rose laughed, remembering she had felt the same way about boys at the age.

"I love you Jack." He kissed her lips.

"I love you too Rose." He bent down and kissed her tummy. "And I love you too little baby."


	17. Christmas Into The New Year

**A/N: Thanks for reviews! **

Jack snapped his eyes open. He was sure he heard Rose calling out to him, but his brain was foggy at three in the morning.

"Jack! Come here! Hurry up!" Realizing he wasn't dreaming and Rose was not in bed with him, he threw the covers back and rushed from the room.

"Rose! Are you alright?" He saw Rose sitting on the couch her hands on her stomach. Fear gripped him, but he saw she was smiling.

"Come here. Give me your hand." She reached out and took his hand as soon as he was within reach. Swiftly she placed it on her stomach and held his hand there.

A tiny, but firm bump hit Jack's hand. His eyes widened in surprise. Another bump followed. Jack smiled widely, his jaw threatening to drop.

"Is that him?" Rose nodded. No words came in response, instead a little squeak came from her throat. "Oh my God Rose. I can't believe it."

She reached up and took his face in her hands. "Believe it. That's our son in there." Jack kissed her lips gently.

"I still can't believe in four months he's going to be out of there and in our arms." Rose smiled, thinking of Jack's words.

They had had an ultrasound done a couple days prior. The baby was healthy, everything normal. When asked if they wanted to know the sex, Jack and Rose both answered at the same time with an excited yes. They were going to have a son. A more definite due date was given, but they knew it could happen anytime between the last week of March and into the first couple weeks of April.

Rose kissed him. "Believe that too." She snuggled against him and closed her eyes. Jack stroked her hair tenderly, and took it all in.

Despite being the middle of the night, Rose had flipped the Christmas tree on. He found she was doing that often. She'd wake in the middle of the night, enjoy some hot chocolate and watch the lights twinkle before going back to bed. When asked, she told him she just enjoyed the magic of the holiday season. Rose also told him the magic was heightened by the baby and the love she had found with him. Now sitting here with her on Christmas Eve, well technically Christmas morning, he understood what she meant.

_**...**_

"Jack?" Rose didn't remember coming to bed last night, so she assumed she had fallen asleep on the couch and Jack carried her to bed. Except now he was no where to be seen. Then a wonderful smell hit her nostrils and she realized Jack was in the kitchen making breakfast. She rolled out of bed and went to join him.

Jack was so involved with scrambling eggs he didn't hear her walk up to him. Rose loved the sight of Jack in nothing but his Chicago White Sox pajama pants. When he moved away from the stove, Rose walked up behind him and wrapped her arms around him.

"Merry Christmas sweetheart," she told him. He had showered, and his skin smelled of soap, spicy and clean. She inhaled the scent before kissing him on his shoulder blade.

He smiled and turned around to face her. "Merry Christmas to you too." He dropped a kiss on her lips. "If you don't let go of me the eggs will burn." Rose laughed but let go. She watched him until he was finished. She figured they'd sit in the kitchen, but Jack took they're plates and walked into the living room. Confused, she followed him.

Jack had the tree lit, and a blanket spread out beside it. He saw her looking at him, still with a perplexed look on her face. "This is something I always did with my parents. We always had a Christmas picnic."

"Sounds better than Christmas with my parents," Rose told him. "We'd to church at dawn. Do you know how hard it is to sit there knowing there are presents just waiting to be opened on the tree? Then we'd do brunch with the family, then we'd do presents."

Rose carefully sat on the floor with some difficulty. She knew as time went by she wouldn't be able to get off a couch, much less the floor. "Rose. Are you asking me if we can open presents first?"

She smiled. "No." Her mouth said no, but her eyes said yes. "They aren't going anywhere. I'm very content to eat breakfast first." Rose knew she was doing a horrible job of convincing Jack she meant what she said.

"You're so full of crap Rose," Jack said with a laugh. "Here." He tossed her a small, flat box which she snatched out of the air quickly.

"What's this?" Jack just smiled.

"Just open it and find out." Rose ripped the paper off and opened the box. Inside was a folded up piece of paper. She grabbed it and read the note. '_I figured you'd wanna open a gift before breakfast. __Guess what? You just did. I love you.'_

"Jack! You're such a -"

"A what?" Rose began laughing. She had to admit her had tricked her really good. He sat down beside her. "Well?"

"An ass. But I love you too." She kissed him and her stomach growled. "Alright, let's eat." Rose folded the note back up and placed it back in the box. They ate breakfast quickly, Rose enjoying every bite.

"You know," Jack said as he began cleaning up the dirty plates. "I have to admit, I was a little nervous about doing that to you."

Rose handed him her plate. "Why?"

"Because you really haven't had a mood swing since you couldn't get into you jeans, and I was a little worried I'd be faced with a hormone induced shit fit." Rose laughed at the thought.

"Honestly? You almost had one. But I guess I just love you too much to let you have it," she told him. "Now put those in the dishwasher and get your cute ass back here immediately!" Rose was actually more eager about her gift to him that whatever she was getting.

Jack sat back down next to her and before he could reach for a present to hand her, she shoved her gift into his hands. "Open it." Not one to argue, Jack did as he was told. He was completely shocked at it. It was a simple sterling silver frame, but it had a copy of the recent ultrasound photo in it. Engraved on the bottom was the words 'I Love My Daddy.'

"Rose, it's beautiful." A single tear slipped down his cheek. She leaned over and kissed him. "Thank you." He hugged her and pulled her close.

"You're welcome Jack. I'm glad you like it."

"I love it." He handed her something. "Don't worry, it's not another note," he assured her.

She opened it eagerly, knowing that there certainly was not a note in the long, black velvet box. She opened it up and her breath caught in her throat.

"Jack," was all she could manage. It was a white gold chain with a single diamond teardrop on the end. He took it from her and placed it around her next. "This is amazing." He kissed her cheek.

"You're amazing Rose." She pulled into a passionate kiss, which deepened by the second. Just as Jack was about to pull Rose on top of him, there was a knock on the door.

"Dammit. Why did we invite them over," Rose asked, referring to Brandy, Tommy, and Fabri. Jack laughed. "Do you think they'll go away?"

He kissed her nose before helping her stand up. The baby began to kick around furiously, as if he had been waken from a nap. Rose simply rubbed her belly as Jack let their friends in. The first thing she noticed was that Brandy and Tommy looked head over heals for each other. The second thing she noticed was that Fabri was not alone.

"Rose! You've gotten so big," Fabric said as he hugged her. If she was just getting fat, she'd be insulted. But Jack told her everyday she got more and more beautiful as she grew. "This is Isabelle. We met a few weeks ago at the Art Institute. I hope you don't mind."

Rose shook her head. "Of course not Fabric. The more the merrier." She smiled. Her son was still kicking away. _Perhaps he can feel how happy I am to be surround by our family._

_**...**_

"So have you and Jack thought of any names yet?" Brandy handed Rose a chart to sign off on.

"We have, but the ones I like he doesn't and vice versa. We want something different, we just don't know what yet. We still have a few months to decide." Rose handed her the chart back. "How crazy is the ER?"

It was New Year's Eve, probably the busiest day for any ER nationwide. Drunk driving accidents, bar fights, and other idiots in the general population made for a long night. Rose had come on at seven, and it was only ten. She hated that in two hours midnight would be here and she wouldn't be able to kiss Jack. But she was also relieved. Despite being a trauma surgeon, she had spent a great majority of time down here. Tonight was one of those such nights. The ER was short staffed with the holidays, and since the OR was covered, she was assigned here. She had talked with her boss, and after tonight, she'd be in the OR until maternity leave.

"Not too bad yet. Give it three hours, we'll all want to run away," Brandy told her. Rose looked around and saw that it was relatively quiet. She saw a man walk out the door, sobbing loudly. "His wife was a hit and run victim. She didn't make it," Brandy told her, filling her in. Rose shook her head in despair. No matter how many lives she saved, it was still a horrible thing to see someone suffer the loss of a loved on.

Rose circled the end of the desk to grab another chart. She tried to find one that didn't involve headaches, vomiting, or the flu. Brandy was on the opposite side, organizing charts. Neither of them saw the man who lost his wife walk back in. The didn't even know he was there until they heard the first gunshot. Brandy and Rose both screamed. The man didn't say anything, but instead began to turn slowing in the a circle firing round after round. The aim of the gun came closer to Rose, and a shot rang out.


	18. Tragedy

"Rose! Rose!" Brandy's voice was barely louder than a whisper. The man was still on a rampage, having more ammo on him than what was in the gun. He was yelling something, but Brandy couldn't make it out. "Come on Rose, wake up!"

When the shooter had aimed for Rose, Rose immediately threw herself to the ground. She had moved fast and landed hard. She was completely unconscious, but no blood came from her, so Brandy knew she hadn't been shot.

After what seemed like an eternity, the shooting stopped. People began to move again. Nurses and doctors immediately went to work on injured patients. Confident that everything was clear, Brandy stood up to grab the phone to call for help. The frantic activity was a blur. One minute Rose was lying on the floor, the next she was being taken on a gurney for tests. Brandy was so worried about Rose, worried about the baby. She knew it would be awhile before the ER starting letting people in. Nonetheless, she grabbed her cell phone and punched in Jack's number, intent on sneaking him in through an employee's entrance.

"Hello?"

"Jack! It's Brandy. You need to get here now," she told him frantically.

Fear gripped Jack's core at Brandy's tone. "What happened?"

"It's a long story, but Rose is hurt. Just get here as fast as you can. Call me when you get here, I'm gonna have to sneak you in." Jack hung up the phone and grabbed his keys from the table. He ran to his car, grateful that it wasn't a snowy night in Chicago.

_God, please let Rose and our son be okay._

The next thing Jack knew he was pulling into the parking garage. He called Brandy and told her where he was. Thankfully she was close by and was able to meet up with him within five minutes.

Jack was silent until the elevator doors of the garage closed. "Where is she?"

Brandy turned to Jack, praying that he was braced for it. "She's in surgery. There was a shooter in the ER," she saw Jack's eyes widen in fear. "She wasn't shot. But she dove out of the way. She hit her head pretty hard on the floor. There was some swelling, and they've gotta drill into her skull to release the pressure."

Not a lot of things really got to Jack. But upon hearing this, he felt his legs begin to shake and he had to lean against the wall to steady himself. "What about the baby?" His voice was barely above a whisper. _God, please..._

"I haven't heard anything about the baby yet Jack." Jack didn't know if that made him feel better or worse. The elevator doors opened and Brandy led him to the waiting room. He collapsed in a chair, feeling dizzy. "Do you want me to go check on her?"

Jack didn't say anything, just nodded his head. Brandy touched his shoulder, concerned. She told him she'd be back soon, but Jack barely heard it. He had completely withdrawn into his own world right now. _If I lose either of them, I don't know how I can handle that. I don't even know if I could handle __that. _ He alternated between praying and crying until he saw Brandy come back, along with Rose's OB/GYN, Katie, and another man. The looks on their faces were sullen.

Brandy took a seat next to Jack and took his hand. "Jack. This is Dr. Matthews. He was Rose's neurosurgeon." Jack just looked at him, with dim hope in his eyes.

"Hi Jack. Rose is going to be fine. The swelling in her brain was very minor, and we acted quickly. She should make a full recovery." The doctor attempted to smile, but Jack saw right through it. There was more news on the way, and a pit in his stomach told him it was bad.

"The baby?" It was all he could manage to say. Katie sat in the other chair next to him. Jack looked at her and just knew.

"The force of Rose's fall was very great. It may have not caused much damage to her brain, but it did tear the placenta away from the uterus. We did an ultrasound before she went into surgery, planning to get the baby out and into NICU, but the baby was already gone. I'm so sorry Jack."

Tears streamed steadily from Jack's eyes. _My son is dead._ It just wouldn't sink it. _How am I going to tell Rose? Does she know?_ "Rose..."

"She's being moved to a room as we speak Jack," Brandy told him. "She's still out from the anesthesia, but she'll be coming to soon. Come on." Brandy gave his hand a slight pull and Jack some how found the strength to stand. Brandy led him to Rose's room. "I'll be right outside if you need me."

Jack walked over to Rose. The first thing he noticed that her baby bump was gone. Her stomach was still slightly swollen from the surgery, but his son was no longer in there. There was a chair next to her bed, and he sank into it. A bandage was wrapped around her head and an IV was in her arm. She looked nothing like his Rose. His Rose was strong and full of life. This Rose in the hospital bed looked frail, fragile, and pail. If it wasn't for the monitor on opposite side beeping her heart rate, he'd very easily mistake her for dead.

"Oh Rose. I'm so sorry love. I'm sorry." He took her hand and brought it to his lips. "I love you sweetie." He kissed her hand before placing his head on the bed next to her. His tears soaked the sheet within a minute, and he cried out in pain. "We can make it through this Rose. We just have to be strong for each other."

Jack felt a gentle squeeze on his hand. His head snapped up. Rose moaned and began to awaken. "Jack?"

He stood up quickly, knocking the chair over in the process. He stroked her face. "I'm right here sweetheart. I'm right here." Slowly her eyes fluttered open. Despite the dullness in them, seeing her blue irises brought a smile to his face. "Rose."

She brought her free hand up to head and rubbed it gently. She felt the bandage and her eyes widened. "What happened Jack?" Jack sighed.

"Brandy called me. There was a shooting in the ER. You weren't hit, but you took a nasty spill and bumped your head." He watched as she mulled it over, remembering the shooter. "You're going to be okay, you just need a minor operation."

Suddenly Rose's hand flew to her stomach. "The baby," she asked in a whisper. Fresh tears poured from Jack's eyes. Rose saw, but wouldn't acknowledge it. Her stomach felt smaller than it had this morning. "Jack?"

"Rose. The fall ripped the placenta. There was nothing they could do." Jack didn't know how he got the words out between his sobs. Rose ripped her hand away from his.

"No Jack," she said firmly. "Don't you dare tell me that! I barely fell. Where is our son?" Her voice became louder with every word. Her tone a mixture of anger and denial. Jack tried to reach out to her, but she backed away from his touch.

"Rose," he said softly. Suddenly Rose reached up and slapped him across the face. Despite the blow causing a white light to flash in his eyes, Jack didn't feel the pain of it. He turned back to her slowly, seeing her eyes on fire. "Our son's gone Rose."

Rose sat there dumbstruck for a moment. Jack inched closer, but she shoved him away with both arms. Her force was weak, as she was still slightly drugged and Jack was able to wrap his arms around her and pulled her close. Rose fought him as hard as she could, punching his chest. "No he's not Jack! If he's not here, then he's in the NICU! I was past twenty weeks. He could have survived!" Jack cried silently and continued to hold Rose as she let it out. He some how realized that if she was at full strength, she could easily knock him out.

Rose attempted to pull free from his grip, but he wouldn't let her. "Where is he Jack? I wanna see my baby. Call the NICU, have them bring him here," she said. Jack heard her denial weakening in her voice.

Jack pulled his arms from around her and cupped her face in his hands. "Rose. Look at me." She refused to make eye contact. "Look at me Rose," he repeated. "Please," he whispered. His whisper drew her eyes to his. "Our son is dead." Jack hated having to be so harsh with her, but he didn't see any other way to get it through to her.

Jack's words worked. Rose understood and believed him. She didn't scream, she didn't shove him away. Instead, Rose's eyes flooded. Her sobs were silent as her body quivered. Jack knew he had gotten through to her. He sat on the bed next to her and she collapsed into his chest, her tears drenching his shirt. Together they cried for the loss of their baby.


	19. The Comfort Of Love

**A/N: Thanks so much for the great reviews! I'm glad you guys love this, even though it's become sadder than sad. But into each life a little rain much fall. I'm going to try to pull Tommy and Fabri into the story a little more as well.**

Jack stared out the window, still slightly numb. The sky was just beginning to lighten ever so slightly. It was actually his favorite time of day, the transition from night to day always calmed him. Today though it wasn't working. On the streets below, a few cars, cabs, and buses made their way along the streets of downtown Chicago. They're weren't many, as New Year's Day was a holiday for the majority of the working world. _ How the hell are you supposed to celebrate a new year when you just lost a baby?_

He turned to look at Rose. She was in a deep sleep. It had been a long night; Jack sensed it was only the first of many to come. Rose had cried herself to sleep hours ago, but it was restless. She'd only been asleep for an hour or so when she started mumbling and moaning. Jack was afraid to comfort her, but he knew she was dreaming about the baby. From her sounds it almost seemed to be a happy dream, and he didn't want to take that away from her. Instead, he sat there and watched her eyelids flutter and a weak smile cross her lips. Then without any warning, Rose sat up and screamed out.

Jack tried to calm her down, but her emotions were relentless. She did allow him to hold her while she screamed about their son. Jack knew this was a natural reaction, but Rose had just had brain surgery. He grew more scared, afraid she'd set back her own recovery. Fortunately a nurse had heard the commotion and came into the room. Jack saw a syringe in her hand. The nurse told him in was simply a sedative and inserted the syringe into Rose's IV drip. Within moments, the drug began to take effect. Rose's eyes drooped and remained shut and her body went limp. Jack laid her back down on the bed and pulled the blanket over her, knowing she'd be out for hours now. He went to have a cigarette, ignoring the bitter cold wind that blew.

Snapping back to the here and now, Jack felt a tear fall down his cheek. He wiped away quickly, surprised he hadn't run out of tears by now. His eyes were tired, and they hurt. The couch next to window pulled down to make a small bed. Jack laid down and closed his eyes, hoping to escape the pain for a little while.

_**...**_

Brandy walked into the apartment. She tried to be quiet, figuring Tommy and Fabri were still asleep. It had been one hell of a night, and she really just wanted to fall into bed and sleep. Walking past Fabri's room, she saw it was empty. She remembered he was staying with Isabelle last night.

Tommy had left his bedroom door open. He was sound asleep, tangled in the covers. Brandy slipped out of her jeans and took her bra off before climbing into bed with him. She laid there, staring at the ceiling.

"What's wrong?" Brandy was startled when Tommy spoke. "You look like you had a horrible night."

"I did." Brandy scrubbed her face with a hand and rolled over to face him. "Rose lost the baby last night."

Shock took over Tommy's face. "What? What happened?"

"There was a shooter in the ER. She didn't get shot, but she dove out of the way I guess. She hit the floor hard enough to cause a placental abruption." Tommy looked confused, as he had no clue what she was talking about. "Basically the baby was cut off from it's oxygen supply," she clarified in the simplest way possible. She didn't have the energy to explain the function of a placenta in full detail.

"Oh my God, that's horrible. How's Rose," he asked. "How's Jack?"

"Rose is fine, physically at least. She smacked her head on the floor and caused some brain swelling, but she's recovering fine after the surgery. Her and Jack are devastated." Brandy sealed her lips after that. She had seen Jack comforting Rose last night. She had heard the yelling coming from her room, and peeked in the window. Rose was reacting as any expectant mother would, and Jack was doing his best to calm her down. After dozing in the on call room, Brandy decided it would be best to head home for the day.

Tommy laid his head on the pillow, thinking of nothing to say. He could tell Brandy was heartbroken at her friend's loss, as he was for Jack's. He simply pulled her close and let her cry herself out.

_**...**_

Rose opened her eyes, feeling groggy. She blinked a few times, adjusting her eyes. She saw Jack laying on the sofa type bed. His eyes were open, and he was just staring into oblivion.

"Jack?" He immediately sat up when he heard her voice. _She looks like a ghost._ He quickly rose to his feet and hurried to her bedside.

"Hey sweetheart. How are you feeling?" He kissed her forehead before taking her hands in his.

"Numb." Her well of tears had run dry for now, but it would soon refill and spill over. "I'm sorry Jack. I should have protected our son." Rose hung her head in shame.

"Hey, look at me." He placed his finger under her chin and pulled her head up. "This isn't your fault. Remember what I told you about jumping on the blame train?" Rose shook her head, unable to recall his words. "You jump, I jump remember? You had a gun pointed at you. You acted on instinct."

"But Jack," Rose began.

"But nothing. You got out of the way the fasted way you knew how. My God Rose, do you realize how easily you could have been killed?" _ I'd be with my son,_ she thought to herself.

"What are you saying Jack?" Jack realized how selfish he had just sounded.

"I'm saying that I couldn't handle losing you too Rose. I'm barely handling losing our son. But if I had lost you as well..." Jack let his words drift away. He laid on the bed with her. Though it was small and uncomfortable for two people to be in a bed built for one, Rose felt immediate comfort wash through her as Jack held her close.

"I love you Jack." She felt his body quiver slightly with sobs as she played with his hair. "We'll get through this right Jack? We'll help each other?"

Jack raised his head just enough to kiss her cheek. "There isn't anything I wouldn't do for you Rose. You know that. Don't worry about being strong right now. In fact, don't worry about anything but feeling whatever you feel at the moment."


	20. Break From Reality

**A/N: Thanks everyone for the great reviews!**

The next week was extremely difficult for Jack and Rose. A few days after everything had happened, Rose was cleared to go home. She had of course been time off of work to recover. No matter how well her brain and skull healed, she knew her heart never would.

Jack stayed faithfully by her side at the hospital, only going home to shower and change. He planned to uphold his vow to get her through this, no matter what it took. The new semester wouldn't start until the end of the month, so he refused to leave Rose's side.

The first two days that they were home, Rose did nothing but sleep. Not only was she recovering from surgery, but she was on painkillers and Xanax. That combined with her emotional distress was enough to knock her out cold. Jack checked in on her often. Sometimes she would be awake, and silent tears would streak her face. His heart broke a little more each time he saw that.

"Where do you think our baby boy is Jack?" The question took him by surprise. He hadn't expected her to ask that. He felt a tiny wash of relief though. Every time he had looked in on her, she had such a blank stare in her eyes, he was afraid she had lost touch with reality.

"I don't know Rose." _Couldn't you told her he was in heaven you idiot?_ Jack sat on the bed next to her. "He's somewhere safe and warm. And one day again, we'll be with him."

_Safe and warm? He was supposed to be safe and warm with me._ But Rose kept her thoughts to herself. Though Jack didn't want her blaming herself, she was. Instead of being honest, she held her emotions locked inside.

"I miss him Jack. I never even saw him, or got to hold him. But I miss him so much." Rose sat up and wiped tears from her cheeks. "How can you miss someone you never even knew?"

Jack wrapped an arm around her shoulder and pulled her close. "You did know him sweetie. We both did." Jack sucked in a sob. "We felt him kicking. We saw him on the ultrasound. We heard his heartbeat. We loved him Rose."

"I still love him," she whispered. "Will this pain ever go away Jack?" She snuggled closer to him.

"I don't know Rose. I think we'll always love and miss him. I think the pain will dull over time, but I don't know if it will ever go away completely."

Rose pulled from Jack's embrace and wiped her face. "I need to shower." _And try not to think, _she added silently. Moving almost like a zombie, Rose grabbed some clean clothes. Jack walked up behind and placed his hands on her shoulders.

"Rose. Will you be alright by yourself for an hour or so?" Rose turned quickly to look at him. "It's just, I have this stupid mandatory meeting at school. I tried to get out of it, but I can't."

She smiled weakly at him. "Yeah Jack. I'll be okay." Rose didn't fully believe it herself, but she did her best to assure him that she did. "Go do what you have to do. To be honest, I could use a little time to myself."

"You're sure? I can blow this off." Rose brushed a stray hair from his eyes.

"I'm positive Jack." He gave her a soft kiss before leaving. Rose sighed, watching him grab his coat and closing the door behind him.

Jack hated the thought of leaving her for so long. He knew she was strong, but he was so scared for her. They were both in mourning for their son, but Rose still seemed to be in shock. He slid into his car, and kept his fingers crossed that the meeting would be very brief.

Rose stepped into the warm water. She hadn't showered since New Year's Eve. That was a week ago. She felt disgusting. Her hair was heavy from the grime and her skin crawled. Her legs begged to be shaved. After a few moments of letting the water run down her body, she was suddenly thinking of Jack. Rose recalled the way he touched her, kissed her, and pressed her up against the wall to make love to her.

Had that been when she got got pregnant? She knew it was the most likely time, but she knew Jack was right when he said it could have happened anytime. She glanced down at her stomach. It was flat now. A couple of stretch marks had made an appearance just weeks prior. She had hated the thought of them, but she took them, knowing they were worth it. They were accompanied now by a scar. It ran along the bottom of her abdomen, no longer than five inches. It was still pink, but overtime it would fade away.

Rose didn't know how she managed to wash her hair, body, and shave her legs. But somehow she did. The warm water had rejuvenated her somewhat, and she felt less tense. She wrapped a robe around her and walked out into the living room, drying her hair with a towel. Something caught her eyes that made her stop dead in her tracks.

Slowly she reached down and picked up what made her freeze. It was her Christmas gift to Jack, the framed ultrasound picture. She stroked the image with her finger, adding her fingerprints to the glass. Something inside of Rose broke at the moment. With calmness and steadiness, she placed the frame on the mantel above the gas fireplace. She returned to couch and sat down, letting her tears poor free.

Never had Rose remembered a time when she had sobbed with so much pain. Maybe when her father was murdered, but years had passed since, and she couldn't recall. She felt her insides begin to boil with anger, and she screamed. Rose was hurt, and she couldn't handle it any longer.

In a flash she stood up. She was tired of hurting, tired of crying, tired of missing her son. _Your son is dead Rose._ Rose grabbed the first thing she saw and snatched it up, before hurling it across the room. It was a vase, one that Jack bought her after he learned she had no vases. It hit the wall and shattered into a hundred pieces. She found she actually enjoyed the sound of the glass breaking.

Anything that wasn't bolted down or too heavy became her victim. The center table in the living room was kicked over. Every throw pillow and cushion ended up somewhere else. Rose actually overturned the couch in her anger. There was a lamp on a end table that ended up shattered against the floor. With everything she threw, she screamed. It wasn't a blood curdling scream, but more of a roar as she flung whatever she had in her hand.

As quickly as she had started, it was over. Before she knew it, Jack's arms were around her. She didn't even try to fight, as his grip was so tight. _I should have never left her. Fuck Jack! How could you be __so stupid?_

"Let go of me Jack!" Rose began to struggle against his grip. "Let me go!"

"No." Jack only tightened his grip. "Rose, I would do anything for you. But letting you go right now is not one of them." Jack felt her legs weaken as she collapsed to the floor. He went down with her.

Rose began to sob again. "I don't wanna hurt anymore Jack. I don't wanna miss him anymore." Jack kissed her hair, himself crying.

"I know Rose, I know. I feel the same way. It's not supposed to go away immediately Rose." Jack felt powerless for the first time in his life. The woman he loved, the love of his life, was in so much pain. He had no idea how to heal it, let alone stop it. Instead he held her there on the living room floor. Jack cried along with her as she cried herself to sleep.

A few hours passed. Despite being on a hardwood floor, with no pillows and blankets, they both slept. It wasn't so much that they fell asleep there, but rather they both cried themselves to sleep there. Jack's grip on Rose loosened as he fell into sleep, but his arms were still wrapped around her.

Rose noticed this when she awoke. Jack's breathing was raspy, but steady. Her bladder was screaming at her. Slowly, so as not to awake him, she pulled free from his grasp. The TV was still on, some informational about vacuums was running and all the lights were on. Rose made her way to the bathroom and did her business. She found she was wide awake. _God, what did I do in there tonight? Am I so angry that I had trash the whole place? _

Rose opened the medicine cabinet, grabbing her Xanax. As long as she could calm down, she'd get some sleep. She popped a pill into her hand and drank it down, still holding the bottle. _I would give anything to see my son once_, she thought. _ I just want to hold him and tell him I love him._

Losing all sense of everything, Rose looked at the bottle in her hand. She didn't know what she was thinking, or if she was even thinking. Somehow though, she knew Xanax alone would not kill the pain forever. Though the bottle was now emptied into her stomach, she snatched the bottle of Vicodin.

"Rose?" Jack rubbed his eyes. _Did she go to bed? _ He hopped to his feet and headed for the bedroom. He saw the bathroom door was closed, and the light peeked out from underneath. Jack would never be able to explain the shivering feeling of dread that entered his body when he saw that, but he would forever be grateful for it.

There she was, eyes closed. Two pill bottles lay next to her, empty. The faucet was still running and the glass of water lay in her lap, spilling it's contents.


	21. Unable To Stay, Unwilling To Leave

Jack felt his heart fall from his chest. He couldn't think, his brain just fired signals for him to move and move fast.

"Oh God. Rose! Rose, sweetie?" He fell to her side and pulled his phone from his back pocket at the same time. "Come on Rose. Wake up!" As he pressed to fingers to her neck he dialed 911.

"Nine one one. What is your emergency?"

"My girlfriend just took a whole bunch of pills and she's unconscious. She has a pulse, but it's very faint and weak. She's barely breathing." Jack rattled off the address as the 911 operator attempted to keep him calm. "Just hurry," he ordered before hanging up.

Knowing he couldn't waste any time, Jack quickly ran to unlock the door for the paramedics before returning to Rose's side. He wracked his brain, trying to recall the CPR he had learned when he worked as a lifeguard during his teenage years. Laying Rose flat on the bathroom floor, tilted her head back, and said a prayer for her to live.

Though it had been years since he performed CPR, it came to Jack as naturally as breathing. He had never had to perform on a live person, only dummies. The idea of actually having to do it terrified him, but he counted his blessings that he actually knew it.

The next thing he realized the paramedics were there. Though Jack didn't want to let go of Rose's hand, he stepped aside and let them do their work. He was too afraid to cry. As they strapped an oxygen mask to Rose's face, Jack's fear escalated.

"What did she take," asked one of the paramedics. Jack remembered seeing the pill bottles on the floor and grabbed them. He saw the names of them, but simply handed them to the paramedic. "Do you know how much she took?"

Jack shook his head. "She's had them since last week, and there was maybe two weeks worth in each." The paramedic simply nodded and slipped the bottles into his pocket. Jack watched as they strapped Rose to the gurney and wheeled her out.

Jack didn't feel the cold as he followed them to the ambulance. He had neglected to grab his coat, but it didn't even register in his brain. The only thing he could think about was that Rose could die at any moment. He didn't even realize they were driving until they arrived at the ER entrance.

Everyone and everything moved faster than lightning, and Rose was rolled into the triage area. Jack followed her, but Brandy appeared in front of him and held him back.

"Jack, I know you wanna go in there. But you've got to stay out here and let us do our work."

"She needs me." Jack attempted to step around him, but she blocked his way.

"Rose needs you to allow us to do our job." There was something about the look in his eyes that told her he wasn't taking no for an answer. "Fine. You stand outside the door. I don't want to, but I will call security if I have to Jack," she threatened.

Jack nodded, signaling he understood. He stood there and watched as they began to process of saving Rose's life. He heard medical terms being tossed out like "activated charcoal," and "BPs dropping." Jack heard something about Rose going into V-fib and saw Brandy hand a doctor the defibrillator.

"Charge to one fifty! Clear!" Jack felt his head start spinning as they placed the paddles to Rose's chest and shocked her. Her body jolted, but nothing changed. "Charge to two hundred! Clear!"

_**...**_

Rose's eyes snapped open. It seemed as though she could hear the commotion of a life being saved in the ER, but it was far away. Sitting up on bed, she looked around. She was in a hospital bed, her robe still tied around her waist from when she got out of the shower. There was nothing else in the room. The door was closed, and a faint light seemed to be glowing from behind it.

_Where am I? _ Rose stood up and slowly made her way to the door and opened it. She found the glow was caused by the bright sun shining in through a window. A lullaby was playing in the room she was in, but there was nothing else there.

"Rose," a voice whispered. She whipped around and was shocked by who had said her name.

"Daddy?" _What is he doing here? _ "What's happening? Am I dead?"

Rose's father chuckled as warmly and as deeply as she remembered it. "No Rose. At least not yet. You're somewhere in between."

"I don't understand. Between what?" Rose's father walked up to her and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Between the living and the dead you could say. I know, it sounds like a cliché, but that's basically where you are." Rose reached up and felt her father's hand. It was warm and calloused. The rough skin comforted her in the oddest way.

"Why am I here?" Her father smiled before touching his hand to her face.

"Because you've been given a second chance. It's not something many people get Rose. The Powers That Be decided you get one."

"Why?"

"Because you wanted to see you son one time. You wanted to hold him and tell him you love him. You didn't want death." Her father nodded his head, indicating for her to look behind her.

Where there had been nothing, a crib now stood. Rose gasped and placed her hand to her chest. Quickly she walked to the crib and peered inside. She felt a tear fall from her cheek. Bundled up in a blanket with a hat on his head, lay her son. He was extremely tiny, as tiny as he would have been if he had been born instead of dieing on New Year's

"Is that...is he?" Rose didn't know what to say. Her father walked up beside her and reached in to pick him up and handed him to Rose.

"He's fine," he assured her. Rose took her son in her arms, smiling.

"Hey baby. I've missed you so much. I love you more than you could possibly know." She gently rocked him, not wanting to disturb his peaceful sleep.

"Rose. You only have a minute or so left before you have to leave." She looked at her father, confusion in her eyes. "You can go back to your life with Jack, or you can stay here with your son."

"What? How am I supposed to choose?" She looked back to her infant son, who hadn't so much as flinched. "I want to watch him grow up."

"You will Rose. He's in a permanent stage of sleep until both you and Jack are reunited with him. He will not grow, he will not age. Even if you stayed now, it would be decades before Jack joined the two of you, and he will not awaken until the three of you are together."

Rose placed her lips to her son's cheek and kissed it lightly. "Will you be here with him," she asked her father.

"I will Rose, I promise. Nothing is going to hurt him here. You have to go now Rose." Feeling relief and a wave of sadness at the same time, she stepped forward and handed her son back his grandfather. He took the baby quickly and ushered Rose back to the door which she had come in through.

"Will I remember any of this daddy?" He shook his head.

"No. But you'll sense closure when you wake up. Go. Now," he urged.

Pausing just on the other side, Rose turned and placed her fingers to her lips. She blew them both a kiss. Before she could say anything else, the door closed quietly and the light on the other side faded away.

Turning on her heel, she returned to the bed. Smiling to herself, she laid down and closed her eyes.

_**...**_

"Got a sinus rhythm," Brandy yelled. She took the paddles from the doctor and placed them back on the crash cart. She turned to grab something and caught Jack's eye. She nodded, indicating Rose was alive.

"She's back," the doctor said. "Get the charcoal in her. She's one of the best doctors here. I'll be damned if we're gonna lose her."


	22. How?

**A/N: So sorry about the delay! I needed to let my brain recharge! Thanks for the reviews!**

Brandy pulled off her gloves and tossed them in a bin. She looked once again over to Rose, who was still unconscious. Brandy felt a tug at her heart. She had known Rose was suffering over the loss of her baby, but she had no idea things were this bad for her. Before letting Jack in to see her, she stepped out of the room to talk with him.

"She'll be alright Jack." Jack breathed a sigh of relief at the words. "What the hell happened?"

"I don't know. I had a meeting at school, and she insisted she'd be fine for an hour or so. I came home and she had trashed the living room. I managed to calm her down and we ended up sleeping on the living room floor. I woke up and found her in the bathroom with the empty pill bottles. I called the paramedics and did CPR until they got there."

Brandy's eyebrows rose at learning Jack knew CPR. "It's a damn good thing you not only found her when you did, but that you did the CPR. She took a lot of pills Jack. Another five or ten minutes, and the outcome would be different." Brandy looked at Rose through the window. "Someone from psychiatric will be down to talk with her later."

"I'm sorry Bran." She turned around and looked at him, confused.

"For what? You don't have anything to be sorry for." Jack was grateful for her words. "You saved her life Jack. That's not something you need to be sorry for."

"Brandy! A GSW is coming in, two minutes," another nurse yelled to her. Brandy nodded.

"I've gotta take this. Go sit with her," she ordered before walking away.

Jack walked into the room, tears threatening to fall. As he took her hand, Rose's eyes fluttered open. He didn't notice as he had covered his face with his free hand, as if he was trying to hold the tears in.

Rose felt different to say the least. She was very aware of what she did, but instead of feeling ashamed, she felt oddly relieved. It was almost as if some burden had been lifted from her heart. She just couldn't comprehend why.

"Why don't you draw anymore Jack?" Rose didn't know where the question had come from. Jack jumped at the sound of her voice.

"Rose! Oh God Rose, I'm so sorry!" He bent down and kissed her forehead. "I was terrified, I thought I lost you!" The words that Rose said suddenly formed in Jack's brain. "Wait...what?"

"I asked you why don't you draw anymore," she repeated. Jack noticed a slight flicker in her eyes, a flicker he hadn't seen since New Year's Eve.

"I...um...what," he repeated. "Rose sweetie? Are you alright?" Despite that flicker, Jack was concerned at her completely random and out of place question.

Rose smiled and pulled herself into a sitting position. Her head throbbed a bit, just behind her eyes, and her airways burned from the tube of charcoal being shoved down her throat. With her free hand, she reached out and stroked his cheek, rubbing a couple of tears away in the process. She enjoyed the way Jack melted into her touch.

"Look at me Jack." His eyes locked with hers. "I'm not crazy. I know what happened. I know what I did. And I know that it was not only stupid and selfish, but I also scared the shit out of you."

Jack smiled at her words. "You did Rose. Brandy told me that if I hadn't found you when I did..." he let his words trail off. "I'd rather not think about what could have happened." He wrapped his arms around her and held her tight.

A light knock on the door interrupted the embrace. Rose turned to look, but did not let her arms drop from around Jack. She recognized the woman on the other side and waved her in.

"Hi Rose," she greeted with a warm smile, which Rose found able to easily return. Jack saw her name badge read Dr. Winters.

"Hi Jamie. This is Jack." The two shook hands. Rose knew this was procedure for any overdose victim, but she really hated the thought of having to do this. There was something tugging at her, pulling her back into living her life.

"Alright Rose, you know how this is supposed to go right?"

Rose nodded and looked over to Jack. He knew what her eyes were telling him. "I won't be far, I promise." He kissed the top of her head before going outside to have a cigarette.

Jamie turned to Rose. "Look Rose, I know we're colleagues and we know each other pretty well." Rose knew she couldn't deny that. They'd crossed paths many times in the ER and Jamie had been to the OR a few times to help patients adjust to physically altering injuries. "I'm going to skip over the psycho babble and jump right in if that's alright."

"That's fine." Jamie listened intently as Rose explained her actions.

_**...**_

Jack took a final puff of his cigarette before stomping it out. The day was cold, as was to be expected. A few flakes of snow danced down from the sky. Unless it was admiring a winter scene from the warmth of indoors, he really loathed winter.

His mind drifted to Rose. _Is she really going to be okay?_ He was exhausted, but adrenaline still pumped through his blood. A million questions floated through his mind. _Will she loose her job? How would she handle that when she's lost so much? Would he be able to help her heal? Would she want his help?_

He lit another cigarette, and took a deep drag. Five o'clock had passed a mere ten minutes ago, and the city streets were filling with rush hour traffic. It was already dark, and the temperature seemed to fall another five degrees. He felt his phone vibrate in his back pocket. Grabbing it and looking at the caller ID, he realized one very important question hadn't even entered his mind. _How are we going to break it to mom and dad?_

_**...**_

"Jack!" He looked towards the call of his name and saw Brandy waving him over. Crossing the waiting room quickly, he met up with her.

"Where's Rose?" He felt his phone vibrate, indicating a voice mail which was no doubt from one of his parents since he ignored the call.

"She's taking a shower in the on call room. She's going to have to stay the night here, but she's going to be okay." Jack felt relief completely relax his body. _Well almost_, he thought as he reflected on the unanswered call.

"You got a second Brandy? I need to ask you something," he asked her. He'd always heard that when it comes to woman, you need to win over their best friend. It held truth with Brandy, as he had no doubt she'd kick his ass if he ever hurt Rose.

"Sure." Brandy turned and handed a chart to another nurse before placing her hand behind his back and ushering him into an area more private. "What's up?"

"I'm not even sure how to ask you this. I know Rose hasn't talked to you much since we lost the baby, but she did tell you we told my parents about this right?"

Brandy nodded. "Yes she did. But I'm guessing you haven't told them about the whole situation have you?"

"No. In fact it didn't even cross my mind. I just got a call from them, and I ignored it, not knowing what to say," Jack said. Brandy thought it over for a moment.

"Listen Jack, I know Rose as well as I know myself. She's tough as nails, but right now she's fragile. The worst thing you could do would be to tell them without her knowing, but at the same time, don't pounce on her with it. Give her a day or two before bringing it up."

Jack nodded, heeding Brandy's advice. "Thank you. Do you mind if I ask if she's said anything about this whole thing to you?"

Brandy was about to answer his question when a flash of red caught her eye. Jack followed her eye movement and turned to see Rose behind him. Her eyes were still holding that flicker he had seen earlier, but he saw a hint of weariness behind that flicker.

They couldn't help but smile at each other. It was the first time either of them had really smiled since the loss of their son.


	23. Never Let Go

**A/N: As always, thanks for reviewing!**

Jack woke up and sat straight up in bed. For a moment he had no clue where he was and what he was doing there. His eyes adjusted to the light and he saw he was back at the hospital, on the same kind of bed he was a week ago.

He looked over to Rose, who was sleeping peacefully. Smiling, he laid back down. He tried to get settled to snooze some more, but his mind was in overdrive, recalling the conversation they had last night.

_**...**_

_"Rose, do you have any idea how much I love you?" She looked into his eyes and grinned._

_"Do you even know how much you love me?" Jack laughed at her response. He wiped a tear from his cheek. Despite thinking he had been done crying, he wasn't._

_"I'd like to think I do." Rose smiled. "I just wish I had known had bad you were hurting. I'm sorry." _

_She reached out and squeezed his hand. "Jack, you couldn't have known. I was keeping it all inside. I was blaming myself and hating myself and I wouldn't let you in." Rose moved over on the bed and Jack laid next to her without having to be asked._

_"I don't know what I'd do if I never got to hear this heartbeat again," he told her with a sigh. It brought tears to her eyes, as she was mesmerized at how much Jack loved her. _

_"I just wanted the pain to stop. I wanted to sleep and not dream about him. I wanted to wake up and notice my flat stomach," she told him. "I didn't want to die. I still don't. You saved my life Jack."_

_Jack lifted his head to meet her gaze. "Rose." He couldn't think of anything else to say but her name._

_Wiping the tears from her eyes, she went on. "Remember when we promised to help each other through this?" He nodded. "You really upheld your promise. I didn't Jack. And I'm sorry for that."_

_Jack pulled himself up to hold her in his arms. He kissed her hair. "Don't be sorry Rose. We've had enough sorrow in this past week for anymore apologies."_

_**...**_

Giving up on more sleep, Jack stood up and stretched. His body was aching. After Rose had fallen asleep last night, he went home for a little while. He found it relaxing to be able to just clean and not think.

His mind still rattled from the thought of telling his parents. He knew it was inevitable, but he still couldn't decide on when or how to do it.

"Hey you," Rose said softly from the bed. He turned and looked at her. His heart soared ever so slightly at her smile.

"Hey yourself," he told her. He planted a tender kiss on her lips. "How did you sleep?"

"Good. Actually, really good. How about you?" Rose reached out and took his hand as he sat next to her on the bed.

"I've slept better to be honest. I went home and cleaned up everything and then came back here. I tried to sleep and barely succeeded at it." He let out a yawn, involuntarily proving his point.

"Too much on your mind?" He just nodded. "Have you told your mom and dad yet?"

Jack felt as if a bucket of ice water had been thrown on him. "No. I actually didn't even think about it until I got a call from them last night. I didn't answer. I didn't know what to tell them. And it didn't feel right telling them without you knowing."

Rose could feel tension melt from him after she had asked him the question. "That's why you didn't sleep last night isn't it?"

"That and I can't stop worrying about you." Rose cocked an eyebrow at him. "Rose honey, with everything that's happened in this past week," he paused to search for his words. "You seem different. Not in a bad way," he assured her quickly. "Believe me, I couldn't have been happier when I saw that flicker of life in your eyes. It's just all of the sudden, you have life back in you that I was sure would take months to return."

"I understand what you mean Jack. I don't know how to explain it. I woke up and I felt like a weight had been lifted off of me. Am I over losing our son? No way in hell! But I just have this feeling that my life will go on and everything will be okay in the end."

"It will be Rose. I promise you," he whispered.

"Sweetie, you can't promise that. Bad things will happen to us eventually. We could lose our jobs, you could lose a leg, I could wreck my car."

"How come I have to be the one who loses a leg," he joked. Rose laughed and smacked him in the arm.

"Because I wreck my car," she teased back. "I love that car." He laughed with her. "Seriously Jack. Just promise me that you'll love me no matter what happens."

Jack leaned over and kissed her before placing his forehead against hers. "I do promise you that Rose. I can't imagine not loving you. No matter how hard things get, I will never let go of this promise Rose. Ever."

"I won't let go of it either Jack. I promise."

For a few moments the simply snuggled on the bed until a knock on the door interrupted them. It was Dr. Steven Webber, the chief of staff. Jack pulled himself up, and for yet another time, he was introduced to a colleague of Rose.

"Well Rose, you gave us quite a scare," he said warmly. Jack felt relaxed at his tone, as did Rose. "I talked with Dr. Winters and looked over all her notes. We both feel that combined with the accident in the ER last week and the rebounding effects of that, this was an isolated incident."

"It was, I can assure you that," Rose told him. He nodded, silently agreeing with her.

"Nonetheless, I want you to take some time off work. Don't worry, I'm not going to take all your vacation and sick days away from you at the beginning of the year. I'm putting you on a few weeks disability."

Rose always knew Dr. Webber was a great man, both professionally and personally. "Thank you so much."

"You didn't think I was going to fire you did you? You're one of the best surgeons on staff. Jack's proof of that," he said. Jack felt himself blush slightly, but laughed it off. "Anyways, Jamie did suggest an anti-depressant," he ripped a paper from his pad as he said that. "And I do want you to do a follow up with her before you return to work."

Rose took the script from him. "I understand Steve. Thank you again."

He smiled. "Not a problem Rose. You're free to go. So go home, get some sleep and just relax for the next few weeks." Steve turned and left.

"Ready to go home sweetie," Jack asked her, turning to grab her things from the closet.

"God yes! But Jack," he turned back to her. "We're going to call your parents when we get home."


	24. On A Mission

**A/N: Thanks for the reviews! After checking and double checking that I didn't state the year in here, I was pleased that I didn't. So I'm going in a different direction, and I hope you all like it!**

Jack's hands shook ever so slightly as he dialed his parents' number. He and Rose had discussed the entire thing on the way home. He was insistent on breaking the news, no matter how hard it was. When Rose attempted to argue, he simply told her, "Sweetie, you've had more than enough to deal with. Let me take this burden."

The burden he was taking wasn't an easy one at all. Rose sat next to him on the couch, her head on his shoulder. Before the other line started ringing, Jack had tears in his eyes. They had decided to talk only about the loss of the baby, not about Rose's overdose. Rose had a feeling she would tell them some day, but not today.

"Hey mom," Jack said. Rose felt his body tense and wrapped an arm around his shoulder. He leaned into her touch, feeling assured by her presence. She could hear Rachel talking quickly, asking how everything was going. Jack cut her off mid sentence. "Actually mom, we have some rather bad news." Jack took a breath, attempting to hold in a sob. "Rose lost the baby about a week ago." Tears ran over his eyelids and Rose kissed his cheek. Being closer she could hear Rachel asking what had happened. Before she could make a grab for the phone, Jack stood. "There was a shooting in the ER at the hospital. Rose didn't get shot, but..." Jack's words broke off. Before he could make another move away from Rose's hand, she snatched the phone.

"Hey Rachel," she greeted.

"Rose! What happened?" Rachel sounded frantic on the other end of the call.

"There was a shooting on New Year's Eve. As Jack told you, I didn't get shot, but I dove out of the way," Rose began explaining. "The force of the fall caused the placenta to rip away from the uterus. There was nothing they could do Rach."

"Oh my God Rose," Rachel started, not sure of what to say next. "I'm so sorry to hear that."

"Thank you Rachel," she told her sincerely. "We'll be okay though. So far it's been a hard road. A very hard road actually." All of the sudden, Rose didn't want to hide her overdose. "Jack literally saved my life a couple nights ago." Rose went onto explain the whole situation on New Year's Eve and the surgeries she had, and the medication she had been on. "I just wanted the pain to stop. I took every single pill I had. Jack found me and not only called the paramedics, but performed CPR."

As Rose went on, Jack stared at her in disbelief. He knew his mother would always lend a supportive shoulder, and she was never one to judge. Rose had been the one to mention not talking about the overdose. But here she was, talking openly about it. He'd never met a woman like her before. He grabbed a beer from the fridge and stood there sipping it until the conversation ended.

"Alright Rachel. I love you too." Rose snapped the phone shut. "Mom will call you later," she told Jack.

"Mom? Don't you mean 'You're mom?'" He had a look on his face that told Rose he was hiding a smile. She motioned for him to join her on the couch.

"No. I meant mom. My mother and I haven't gotten along in years as you now. I feel closer to your mom than my own. Why? Do you mind?" Her grin was playful and serious at the same time.

"Not at all. I love you sweetie," he said, brushing some hair from her eyes.

_**...**_

"Oh. My. God. I. Am. Bored." Jack laughed at the way Rose made a sentence out of every single word. "I'm not kidding Jack. I haven't been off work for more than three days at a time."

"You're on day four," he commented. Rose, who had been laying off the couch, rolled off and stood up.

"Exactly. Bored!" Jack laughed harder. "Oh shut up," she said sarcastically. She grabbed the remote for the TV and flipped on the news.

That was the first time they had heard about a 7.0 magnitude earthquake in Haiti.

_**...**_

Jack was back at his first day of school for the semester. Rose had been glued to the TV, watching the news on the Haitian earthquake. In the middle of a report she heard her phone ring.

"Hello," she said, eyes still on the TV.

"Rose. It's Steve." Rose figured Dr. Webber was simply checking in on her, to see how she was doing.

"Hi Steve. What's up," she asked.

"How are you feeling?" Rose's suspicions were confirmed by his question.

"Fine. Just watching the news on the earthquake in Haiti." Her heart broke at the sight of bodies piled in the street.

"That's good Rose." There was a pause, which Rose barely registered. "Actually, that's why I'm calling."

"What?"

"The International Committee of the Red Cross got a hold of me." Rose's eyes finally pulled away from the TV to listen to what Steve had to say.

_**...**_

"Hey honey," Jack greeted as he walked in the door. He tossed his keys on the table. Going to grab a beer, he saw Rose sitting on the couch. The TV was on, but she seemed deep in thought. "Rose?"

"Oh hey Jack," she said. "How was your day?"

Jack joined her on the couch, and reached for her hand. "Fine. What's wrong?"

Taking a deep breath, she told him what Steve had told her. "Steve, Dr. Webber, called me. The International Committee of the Red Cross had gotten in touch with him. About me."

"What do you mean about you," he asked, somewhat confused.

"I'm one of the best trauma surgeons in the country, Jack. I'm well known within the medical community. They want me to go to Haiti to help with the relief efforts."

_**...**_

"Well that's me," Rose said as her flight was called over the loudspeaker. Jack gazed into her eyes, which touched her heart. "I can't believe you bought a ticket just so you could walk me to the gate."

Jack smiled. "I'm going to miss you Rose. I know you'll only be gone for a couple weeks."

Rose wrapped her arms around him, still amazed at his support of her going to Haiti. "I'm going to miss you too. I love you so much Jack. Thank you."

Cocking an eyebrow at her, he responded. "Thanks for what?"

"For loving me. For supporting me. For basically being in my life," she told him.

"I wouldn't be in your life if you hadn't saved it," he responded with a grin.

"Nor I in yours." Again Jack pulled her into his embrace.

"I don't think I ever told you how proud I am of you Rose. You are the bravest, most courageous, most loving person I have ever known."

Jack's words brought tears to her eyes. She leaned forward to give him a tender kiss before she pulled from his arms to board the plane. Rose was flying to Florida first, and from there going to Haiti. "I love you Jack."

"I love you too." He watched as she gave the woman at the gate her ticket. She paused and turned long enough to blow him a kiss, which he blew back to her. Jack remained there until her plane taxied away from the gate and then turned and head home. He'd miss her like crazy until she got back, but he had a good feeling about what she was doing. Jack hoped and prayed that Rose would help her heart heal along the way of helping others.


	25. Haiti

**A/N: As always thanks for the reviews! This chapter was hard to write, so I hope you all like it!**

Stepping off the plane into the hot and humid air, Rose began to sweat instantly. She was glad Jack and not only suggested she wear shorts and a tank top under a pair of sweats, but he had took her heavy winter coat from her at the airport. The sun was relentless and the humidity was horrid.

Rose had flown from Chicago to Miami. From Miami she took a smaller plane to the Dominican Republic. Part of her was relieved she wouldn't see the grief stricken country up close right away. ICRC was allowing her to settle into a make shift camp first. Following that, teams would be divided, and Rose would be assigned to stay in the Dominican hospitals, or to cross the border into Haiti and work in the field.

It didn't take long at all. She was shown where she could place her belongings. She had only taken one suitcase with clean clothes, a few toiletries, and her cell phone charger. Rose didn't know if or when she'd be able to charge or use her phone. Thinking about that, she grabbed her phone and saw she had a couple bars, indicating a weak signal. She knew Jack was teaching a class right now, so she typed out a quick email on the Blackberry, sent it, and turned her phone off to save the battery.

_**...**_

Jack felt his phone buzz in his back pocket. He had a feeling it was Rose. He glanced at the clock and saw there was only five minutes left of the class. His students were all working on the computers, learning how to touch up overexposed photos.

"Alright, that's enough for the day. It's Friday. Get a head start on your weekend," he told them. Not having to be told twice, the students saved there work and filed out of the computer lab. Jack sighed and grabbed his phone. As he suspected, it was an email from Rose, and he smiled.

_Hi babe. Landed safely in the DR. Don't know when I'll be able to get in touch with you, if at all. I'm waiting for my assignments, and when I can I'll let you know how everything is going. I miss you and love you. Rose._

_P.S. The signal is spotty and I've turned off my phone to save the battery. So please don't panic if you can't get in touch with me. :)_

Jack was relieved she was there safely. He had known contact with her would be limited, if even possible. But getting the simple email lightened his spirits. He slide out the keyboard of his phone and sent her a quick email back.

_Hey hun. Glad you made it there safe, and that you were able to email me. I love you, and am so proud of you. Stay safe, and don't worry, I won't panic. LOL. I talked to the guys earlier, and both Tommy and Fabri send their love and prayers along with mine. I'll miss you, especially at night. Love you. Jack._

_**...**_

Rose found herself eager at the task in front of her. Rose had gone into the medical world surrounded by a small shield of comfort. Everything in the OR was sterile. She had all the information on a patient. If something went wrong during surgery, she had not only the skills, but the tools at her disposal to fix it. The temperature of the OR was controlled, and the air clean. Here it was entirely different.

She had been assigned to work in a field hospital in Haiti. It was outside, as there were very few sound structures left. Thankfully it was an enclosed tent, so the debris in the air would be minimized. Medical supplies were scarce. Fortunately for the first time use they would be sterile. But all the doctors had been told throw nothing away. Should supplies run low or run out, they would be forced to reuse tools. Although cleaned in solutions, there were no autoclaves to sterilize them. Disinfected was the best they could hope for.

As the truck neared the Haitian border, Rose felt her stomach tighten. The images she had seen on TV would soon be in front of her eyes. She'd never been nervous going into surgery, not even the first time. She had been confident, and most importantly, not emotionally connected. Rose knew there were two kinds of doctors. There was the kind who got rid of their feelings, and the kind who hold onto them. If she kept a hold of her feelings, she knew she'd get sick from time to time, that's just how it worked. People came into her OR, sick, bleeding, and dieing. They needed her help. She knew helping them was more important that how she felt. It was a pain in the ass sometimes, but she gave herself a swift mental kick, closed her eyes, and let go of her feelings.

_**...**_

"Clamp that artery," Rose told the nurse who was assisting her. Rose blinked rapidly to prevent the sweat from rolling into her eyes for what seemed to be the thousandth time. She felt high, as adrenaline had been pumping through her all day. The sun had begun to set, and she had to finish quickly. There was no electricity and the lighting provided by the back up generators was shady at best. It got dangerous at night as well, as people in situations such as this tend to panic.

Already she had operated on four people. The first two had been to repair internal bleeding, the third was an amputation. This one was more difficult for her. Her patient was a young woman, about eight months pregnant. She'd gone into early labor, but the baby was breech. The only way to get the baby out safely was by C-section.

The first three operations had been a breeze. While performing this one, Rose felt her feelings attempting to creep back up on her. _Get over it Rose. You know the pain of losing a child. Do not let this woman go through that._ While easier said than done, Rose managed to shove her feelings aside and pulled the tiny infant out. The nurse grabbed the bulb syringe and quickly sucked out the fluids from the baby's airwaves. Moments later, it let out a tiny but piercing scream.

_**...**_

Rose stepped out of the van with shaky legs. She was hot, hungry, and tired. Now back over the Haitian border in the Dominican Republic, Rose let out a sob.

Granted she had spent the majority of her day inside the surgical tent, she still caught a glimpse of the devastation outside. Piles of rubble lay where buildings had once stood. The hot and humid conditions caused bodies within those piles of rubble to decompose rapidly. The smell was acrid and thick. Despite what Rose had seen over her career as a doctor, it took her quite some time to adjust to the odor.

Mass graves were being dug, and dump trucks full of bodies filled them. Hundreds upon thousands were laid to rest in a pile. No funerals, no mourning. There was simply nothing else that could be done with them. Making her way to her cot, she sat there and cried for those poor souls.

Despite the conditions, a lukewarm shower and a warm meal helped Rose feel like a brand new person. After sweating away ten pounds by merely standing in the heat, saving lives, experiencing a 4.0 magnitude aftershock, and trying not to freak out at the sights, Rose was also beat.

She pulled her hair into a high ponytail and stretched out on the cot. It was less than comfortable, but at the moment Rose didn't care. Thousands of people were sleeping on the streets just miles away from her. Those people didn't know if they would live or die. They didn't know if their loved ones were alive or dead. They didn't know where their next meal was coming from, or when they'd be able to sleep in a bed again. It all caught up with her. One day was down, she had twelve more to go. Knowing that she'd soon be in a comfortable bed with Jack's arms around her while the broken people of Haiti had little or nothing, Rose cried herself to sleep.


	26. Home

**A/N: Thanks for reviews. Don't have anything in your mouth at the end of this chapter. :)**

"Screw it, I fold," Tommy said as he threw the cards on the table. "And I quit." He got up from the table and grabbed another beer.

"What's the matter Tommy? Out of money?" Jack laughed as he counted up the chips. "You're only out twenty bucks."

"For the third time tonight," Fabri mentioned. "See why I don't even bother playing poker with him? I know he's just going to kick my ass," he told Tommy.

"You've won on occasion Fabri," Jack told him.

"I think the last time I beat you at poker was when we were twelve. And we weren't playing for money then." Tommy laughed while watching his friends banter.

"Oh that's right. Whoever won got to ask Susan Niles to the eighth grade dance. Well you won, why are you complaining," Jack teased his friend.

"Because she kept asking where you were all night long. In fact, every girl did." Jack threw his head back and laughed. He didn't deny it. Puberty had kicked in early for Jack, around the age of eleven. He shot up a foot in the air and facial hair began to sprout. Fortunately for Jack, he never had to deal with acne. He went from a dorky little kid to heart breaker over night.

"With all the girls that kept throwing themselves at you, it's a wonder you weren't already involved with someone when you met Rose," Tommy pointed out. "When she's coming home anyways?"

"Three more damn days," Jack told him.

"Speaking of which," Fabri began. "The girls seem to have this idea of throwing a welcome home party for her. And I have a feeling that no matter how hard we put up a fight about it, we're going to lose."

"Then how about we don't put up a fight? The only way it wouldn't work would be if Rose came home early and we had no idea about it," Jack told him.

_**...**_

Rose shivered as she walked from the plane to the gate. Despite the boardwalk being enclosed, the cold winter air still hit her. And even worse, she had no coat. Nor would she, since Jack had no idea she had been sent home three days early.

It was a small price to pay though, and she'd live with it. She glanced at her watch and saw it was a little after two in the morning. Her flight had been delayed because of storms in northern Florida, but she didn't really care. She couldn't wait to surprise Jack.

Rose grabbed her single suitcase from baggage claim and made her way to the exit. She wasn't sure if there would be cabs at this late hour, but sure enough there were a few waiting for late night passengers. Dashing from the doorway, she leaped into the cab and shivered. It was a lot colder than she remembered, or maybe it was just a slap to the senses after being in a near tropical environment.

"Where to ma'am?" Rose rattled off her address to the cab driver and leaned back against her seat. It had snowed while she had been away, recently from the look of it. The trees were still barren and Rose now found herself pining for spring. In the meantime, she'd focus on warming up next to Jack. She had missed him more than she thought she would. It had been impossible to get in touch with him in anyway but email.

Even at the late hour, the lights of the buildings still twinkled in the darkness. She smiled as she saw the Sears Tower looming ahead of her. Jack had taken her up to the Sky Deck there last fall. She remembered the way he jokingly scolded her when she called it by it's new name, the Willis Tower. "Rose. I'm a Chicagoan. This has, and always will be the Sears Tower to me."

"Here we are miss," the cab driver said as the car came to a stop in front of her building. Glancing at the meter, she dug the cash from her purse and handed it to him, along with a tip.

"Keep the change," she told him as she climbed from the cab. A cold wind hit her, but she really didn't care. She grabbed her bags and walked briskly through the buildings lobby to the elevator.

The condo was silent and dark, as she figured it would be. More surprisingly, it was clean. Remembering that boys will be boys, Rose had half expected to find Fabri and Tommy passed out on each of the couches, and a plethora of beer bottles and pizza boxes. She was impressed.

As quietly as possible, she put her bags down and tiptoed to the bedroom door. Though the shades were closed, Rose could just make out the outline of Jack's body with the help of street lamps. Tempting as it was to just climb into bed with him, she craved a hot shower.

Positive she wouldn't disturb Jack, since he slept like the dead, Rose hopped into the hot shower. She intended to make it quick, but once the hot water hit her skin, she knew she'd be in there until it ran out. She hadn't been able to shave since before she left, and did so. _Never know a good thing until you don't have it,_ she thought as she grabbed the razor. _ Besides, I don't want Jack to run his hands up hairy legs._

Smiling at the thought of Jack's touch, she turned the water off. It was now after three in the morning. She knew Jack had to get up at five, since it was Thursday and he had an early morning class. In Rose's opinion, that just sucked, but she'd deal with it. She finished brushing and flossing her teeth and snapped the light off.

Rose quietly pulled back the covers and slid into bed next to Jack. She tried to sleep, but couldn't. She was simply too excited to be back home. So for the next hour and half, she watched him sleep. Never having done that before, she wondered why. Jack was not only a mover in his sleep, but he was also quite the talker. And he was holding an intense conversation with someone about feeding some ducks down by the lake. Rose held in giggle after giggle until he quieted down. She glanced at the alarm clock, and watched the last ten minutes before it went off drag on.

Finally it did. Groggily, Jack reached out and smacked the snooze button before pulling the covers over his head, while laying at the edge of the bed. Rose simply couldn't help herself.

"GOOD MORNING," she yelled.

Not only startled by her voice, but half asleep and tangled in the sheets, Jack yelled out "Shit!" before falling off the edge of the bed. Rose began to laugh her ass off.


	27. Reconnecting

**A/N: Thanks for the reviews! Don't worry, things are going to get better for them!**

Rose's sides quickly ached from her laughter, as Jack managed to stand up. It took him a moment, as he had further tangled himself in his tumble. The look on his face, a combination of confusion and surprise, made Rose laugh so hard, tears fell from her eyes.

"Rose! You're home," he exclaimed. He raised his eyebrows. "Wait. I'm not dreaming am I?"

"Maybe," she teased. "Did the fall hurt?" She asked this while trying to gasp for air. Jack smiled and flung himself back on the bed.

"Yes," he said in a sultry voice and pretended to pout. "Kiss me and make it better."

Rose didn't have to be told twice. She grabbed him from behind his neck and pulled his lips to hers. The kiss was tender, but full of love. "Do you still think you're dreaming," she asked, pulling away.

"No. But if I am, I don't want to wake up," he kissed her nose before nuzzling her neck. "I missed you so much babe. These were the longest two weeks of my life."

"Good thing they were shaved off by a few days then," she replied. She allowed Jack to pull away so he could look at her.

"When did you get home?" He tossed the blanket over her and pulled her close, relishing the feel of her skin.

"A few hours ago. They didn't need me anymore. Well it's not that they didn't need me, there were more doctors coming in to relieve us. So I decided to surprise you," she told him with a grin.

"By making me fall out of bed? At five in the morning no less," he teased and she laughed.

"That really wasn't part of the plan. It was funny though. It just sucks that you have to go to class," she added with a pout.

"No I don't. Hang out and be quiet for a minute." Jack climbed back out of bed. After nearly two weeks, Rose appreciated the sight of him in nothing but his boxers. He grabbed his phone and dialed a number. After a moment, he spoke. "Hey Terry. It's Jack." Rose noticed how Jack's voice had suddenly become hoarse and weak sounding. "I'm gonna have to cancel my classes today and tomorrow. I woke up with the flu or something." He gave a fake cough, which actually sounded real, and went on. "I'll call you later. Bye."

"Well, aren't you the dirty little liar," Rose teased. "That was actually pretty good."

"Thanks," he said with a smile. Without hesitation, he laid back down on the bed with her. "Like I could teach a class with you here. I'm thrilled, you're thrilled, my students will be thrilled. Everyone wins." His tone turned slightly more serious. "Tell me about Haiti Rose."

"It was horrible Jack." She described for him the sights she had scene, of the rubble and piles of bodies. She felt herself cringe slightly mentioning the constant smell of death everywhere. "There were some hard surgeries as well. The first day, I had to perform a C-section. For the first time I had to fight to keep my feelings separate from my performance." Rose noticed a tear zigzag down Jack's cheek and reached up to brush it away. "It wasn't easy at all. I just kept telling myself not to let the woman I was operating on to feel the pain we felt."

"You saved their lives didn't you, " Jack whispered. He was propped up on his elbow, absentmindedly playing with her hair.

"I did Jack. And when that little baby cried," she paused to sniffle, "I felt a little piece of me start to heal." Jack pulled her close and hugged her.

"I'm so happy to hear that baby. I was so worried about you while you were gone. I mean I know that you're strong and that you're letting yourself heal, but it still scares me sometimes." Rose pulled back and gazed into his eyes.

"You don't have anything to be scared of," she assured him. "I'm not going anywhere, nor do I plan to." She gave him a kiss. "You're stuck with me now Jack," she added. Jack saw her eyes twinkle as she said that and laughed.

"Good. Because you're stuck with me too." She smiled and laid back, pulling Jack with her to lay on her chest. He positioned himself so he could gaze up at her. "I love you Rose."

"I love you too." She glanced down at him and touched his face. Rose noticed that he hadn't shaved in a few days, and stubble was growing along his chin and upper lip. Jack saw her notice.

"Do you want me to shave it?" Rose shook her head.

"No don't. I find it incredibly...sexy," she told him. Her voice was tired, and Jack sat up to kiss her. She kissed him back, enjoying the feel of his arms around her, after missing it so much. Jack pulled her close to snuggle and within minutes, Rose was sound asleep.

_**...**_

By the time Rose opened her eyes again, it was dark outside. She heard the radio playing softly in the other room and could make out the sound of Jack doing something on the computer. Grabbing one of his old shirts from the dresser that she had confiscated, she threw it on and walked out into the living room.

"Talking to your other girlfriend," she teased, and he smiled.

"Yep. Both of them," he joked back. Rose walked up behind him and turned his chair around.

"Well them to get lost," she told him as she sat on his lap. "Or I'll kick all of your asses." Laughing, Jack encircled his arms around her body and pulled her close.

"You hungry baby?" Rose was, but she shook her head. Instead she leaned forward and kissed him. Since the loss of their son, the kisses they shared had been nothing more than a peck. While they had both been recovering emotionally, Rose had been recovering physically as well. They had never even discussed making love, as it seemed they both understood what the other was thinking.

But Rose deepened the kiss. Though it surprised Jack when her tongue grazed his, he didn't pull away. Her body was vibrating and he could feel it. Her grasp around his neck tightened, and he managed to lift her from the chair. With her legs wrapped around his waist, he carried her back into the bed room and laid her back on the bed.

He allowed his lips to travel to her neck. She arched her neck back and moaned at the graze of his kisses. Even though Jack was sure of her feelings, he suddenly pulled back. Before he could speak, Rose pressed a finger to his lips.

"I want you Jack. I _need _you," she stressed. "Don't think, don't say anything." As she was talking to him, she removed his shirt and tossed it to the side. "Just make love to me."

Gazing into her eyes, he saw her fire burning brightly. As Rose had told him, he didn't say a word, and he let his brain shut down before letting his lips collide with hers again.


	28. Happy Anniversary

**A/N: Alright, I'm picking up speed a little bit. Enjoy! As always, thanks for reviewing!**

Rose glanced at the clock and saw she had a little over thirty minutes left until her shift ended. She seriously considered ducking out of work early, knowing that a last minute trauma would come in that needed her attention. But she decided against it.

No trauma came in. Even the ER was slow. Finally she saw the clock hit six and she bolted to the locker room to change. The next two weeks belonged to her and Jack.

Winter melted into spring, and spring warmed up into summer. A couple months ago she and Jack discussed taking a vacation together. Trying to figure out when, Rose had flipped through medical records and saw when Jack had been brought into the OR a broken and bleeding mess. It had been July sixteenth. So they decided to celebrate that day as their anniversary, and planned a vacation.

Rose had absolutely no idea what she wanted to do. She could spend the next two weeks naked with Jack in bed and not have a problem with it. But Jack was adventurous, and proposed they go camping. Rose almost freaked out at the idea of sleeping in a tent and battling bugs. After laughing, Jack told her they could easily rent a cabin, and she relaxed.

So they had their bags packed, and a cabin had been rented on Lake Wissota. It had been Rose's idea to go there. She hadn't seen Jack's parents since the first time she met them, and longed to see them again. Also for a few days, Tommy and Brandy, along with Fabri and Isabelle would be there.

Smiling as she walked to her car, she thought of the fun they would have. She tossed her purse in the passenger seat and climbed in. She popped the top down, planning to enjoy the late afternoon sun. Looking through her iPod list, she found a song by Rascal Flatts called 'Summer Nights,' and turned it on. Rose found herself laughing every time she used the iPod Jack had gotten her for her birthday.

"It's the twenty first century Rose, join us," he had teased her.

_**...**_

Rose practically flew into Jack's arms the moment she slammed the door shut behind her. Grabbing her, he picked her up and swung her around.

"Careful there Rose. I might start thinking you're dreading our vacation," he teased her before kissing her. He let her feet touch the floor as he ended the kiss. "The car's packed." Rose let out a squeal of excitement. "Now are you sure you have all the shoes you want?"

Rose laughed, recalling the first time they visited his parents and he had made fun of her shoes. She slapped him in the arm. "If I don't have a pair I want, I'll go barefoot." Grabbing his hand, she pulled him out the door.

_**...**_

Jack let his mind wander on the drive up. Rose had dozed off in the car, despite her excitement. He didn't mind, understanding she had just worked a twelve hour shift. He couldn't believe it had already been a year. They had gone through so much in so little time. Within two months of dating, Rose became pregnant, and then she lost the baby and had brain surgery in the same night. She overdosed on her medications and almost died. She had gone to Haiti to help with the earthquake relief efforts.

Together they went to hell and back with the loss of their son. The pain had eased, but it never left them completely. Every now and then, one of them would have a flash of what would have happened if things hadn't turned out the way they did. But instead of reflecting on it, they leaned on each other for support. Jack sometimes had a flash of Rose not surviving her overdose, but she was always there to comfort him when it happened.

The six of them, Jack, Rose, Tommy, Brandy, Fabri, and Isabelle, became a very close group of friends. At least one night a week they got together to hang out. Sometimes Isabelle, being a professional chef, would cook up weird and exotic foods, which they all loved. Other times they would go to a bar or club, have a few drinks, dance, and sing karaoke. Jack laughed to himself, recalling the time the girls had suggested they go to a nearby strip club. The guys all of course denied they had any sort of interest in that sort of thing, but the girls saw right through that lie. In the end, they were hauled off to The Factory. Jack didn't know about Tommy and Fabri, but upon returning home, he ended up having the best sex of his life to date.

_**...**_

"Happy anniversary my love," Jack said to Rose as she sat at the kitchen table. He handed her a cup of coffee and pecked her cheek.

"Same to you sweetie." She took a long drink of her coffee. "Hard to believe that last year at this time I was at work, being Miss Doom and Gloom about a failed marriage, while you were getting run over."

Jack sat down in the chair next to her. "Funny how things turn out isn't it?" He pulled a package from behind his back. "I know we said no gifts, but this is for you," he told her.

Try as she might, Rose couldn't hide the twinkle of excitement in her eyes. "What am I going to do with you," she teased.

"Open it, squeal with excitement and kiss me," Jack predicted, which was pretty much what she did.

In the year that they had been together, Jack had never shown her any of his drawings. That had always been a very private part of him. Rose knew this, and never pushed the issue. Seeing her face light up like a kid's on Christmas morning, Jack actually regretted not showing her earlier.

"Jack, this is amazing. No, amazing is too banal of a word for this." She looked up from the drawings to meet is gaze. "This is exquisite work Jack."

His grin widened at her compliment and he couldn't tear his eyes from her face as she studied the drawings. "Remember when you asked me why I didn't draw anymore?"

"Yeah. And you never did answer me," she said, looking back to him. "So why don't you?"

Jack smiled. "Because the only thing I can think of to draw, is you Rose." A shiver ran down her spine as an idea struck her. She had noticed there were blank pieces of paper in the back of the portfolio.

Rose flashed him a smile and handed him the portfolio back. She stood and leaned down to kiss him. "Stay," she commanded. Jack love the grin on her face, noticing it that it was a little on the naughty side. She disappeared in the bedroom, and only a few minutes passed before she called him into the room.

Jack almost tripped over his own two feet when he saw her laying there. She had gotten rid of her clothes and laid out naked on the bed. He didn't know how but she had arranged the pillows just right.

"What are you doing," he asked, even though he had a pretty good idea. Rose giggled.

"Draw me Jack."


	29. Summer Fun

**A/N: I'm really on a roll! Oh and FYI, I've shortened Isabelle's name to Izzy. :)**

Rose sat on the edge of the dock, enjoying the fresh air. Try as she might, she couldn't remove the smile that had settled on her face. She kept thinking about the look in Jack's eyes as he drew her. It had been so intense and full of love. The entire time he drew her, she wondered how hard it was for him to sit there and concentrate with her naked in bed. Later, after they had made love, she asked. Jack confessed it had been extremely difficult. To further prove his point, he made love to her again.

They had ended up sleeping late into the afternoon. Rose awoke before Jack, but didn't want to disturb him. Jack was still snoring as far as she knew. Restless, Rose left him a note letting him know she was down by the lake. She noticed how warm the water was as she dipped her feet in it. Maybe later, sometime in the middle of the night perhaps, she could con Jack into going skinny dipping with her.

"Hey beautiful." Rose turned and saw Jack headed for her. He was barefoot, and hadn't bothered with putting a shirt on, only his khaki shorts. He tanned like no other, which just made Rose extremely jealous. Being a redhead, she was more likely to burn, although she often developed a slight tan in the summer.

"Hey lazy," she teased. She scooted over so he could sit next to her. "Sleep long enough?" He threw an arm around her shoulder and kissed her cheek and smiled at her.

"We'll probably be up half the night now," he commented. "How long have you been out here baby?"

"Maybe a half hour. You know since we'll be up half the night, I was thinking, maybe we could possibly, go skinny dipping." Jack laughed, enjoying the idea.

"I think we could and _should_ do that," he told her, letting his lips brush hers. "I have a better idea though."

"Really? What's that?" Rose swept her hair back with her hands before securing it with the ponytail holder she had around her wrist.

"This." Before Rose could react, he had pulled his arm from around her shoulders, and shoved her off the edge of the dock. She only managed to get a tiny scream out before she hit the water.

"Jack! You're such a jerk," she yelled at him as she came up for air. "I will get you back for that you know," she threatened. Jack was doubled over in laughter, and Rose couldn't help but laugh too.

"Just wanted to know how you felt when you scared me right out of bed babe," he told her between laughs. Rose kicked her legs, and just bobbed up and down in the water. "Are you going to stay in there," Jack asked.

"Aren't you going to help me get out," she asked, somewhat innocently.

Jack shook his head. "So you can pull me in too? Nope." Rose figured that would backfire, but laughed nonetheless. She swam her way back to the dock, which had a ladder, and pulled herself out.

Soaking wet, she threw her arms around him, trying to get him as wet as possible.

"This isn't over Jack. I'll get you back when you least expect it," she threatened before kissing him.

_**...**_

"Really? Paint balling?" Tommy sounded slightly skeptical when Brandy had mentioned it. Rose saw her opportunity and grabbed it.

"I've always wanted to go," she chimed in. "Jack, didn't you say there was a paint ball range around here somewhere?"

"Yeah, it's just ten miles east of here." He looked at Rose. "You do know how painful it is right?"

Rose shrugged. "I'll live." She turned to Izzy and Brandy. Brandy held in a smile. "Girls versus guys."

It was the following day that Tommy, Brandy, Izzy, and Fabri had joined them for the weekend. Rose and Jack were both grateful they hadn't gotten there until two in the afternoon, as they didn't rise until noon themselves. As predicted, they had stayed up half the night. They had gone swimming underneath the moonlight, but Rose had run ahead of Jack and jumped in the water before he could scoop her up to throw her in again. Once in the water, they quickly shed their bathing suits and swam naked together. At one in the morning, it was quite and peaceful. No one else in the area was awake. Jack took advantage of the conditions and pressed Rose up against the ladder of the dock to make love to her. When all was said and done, it was almost four in the morning when they climbed into bed.

Arriving at the paint ball range, Rose tried very hard to keep herself from laughing. She didn't dare to look at Brandy or Izzy, who shared in on her secret. The guys had no idea what was going to hit them.

"I dunno. Are you sure you want to do this ladies," Fabri asked. "The odds aren't that great for you." He handed gun to Tommy and Jack.

"He is right you know. The three of this used to do this quite often," Jack bluffed. _Okay, so we've done it once or twice, they don't need to know that, _he thought. "You're going to be covered in welts."

"Oh stop being such a girl, and just do it," Rose teased him. He grabbed her by the waist and pulled her close. He dropped a kiss on her lips. "What was that for," she teased.

"Apologizing in advance," he joked. She bit her lip and pulled away. The three guys went to take their place behind some targets.

Izzy came up to Rose. "So none of them know that we all actually know how to shoot?"

The three woman burst into laughter. Rose and Brandy each knew the other one could not only shoot, but shoot damn good. They had been to gun ranges in Indiana together in the past. When they revealed this to Izzy, she revealed she also knew how to shoot. None of their respective boyfriends had a clue.

The buzzer went off just as the girls slammed their visors down on their helmets.


	30. Family, A Rescue

**A/N: As always thanks for reviewing! I have no idea where the idea for the ending of the chapter came, but it did, and I think it's adorable. :)**

"Jack!" Rachel threw her arms around him and he instantly flinched in pain. "What's wrong with you?"

"I kinda kicked his ass in paint balling," Rose told Rachel proudly. "He's such a wimp." Rachel laughed and gave Rose a hug.

"Did he deserve it?" The question came from Jack's father, Eric.

"He shoved me in the lake," Rose answered, giving Eric a hug.

"Well then he did. Good job," Eric complimented her. Rachel and Eric were too busy welcoming Jack and Rose in, and trying not to laugh at Jack's slight limp, that they didn't notice the other four coming up the driveway.

Fabri tapped Rachel on the shoulder, and she turned around, surprised to see him, as well as Tommy there. "Oh my goodness! Well if it isn't my adopted sons!" Rachel hugged them both as they smiled at the term she'd used for them since the time they'd each known Jack.

"Hey ma," Fabri greeted with a smile. "This is Izzy," he said, introducing her to Rachel and Eric. Tommy followed suit with Brandy. Both girls called her Mrs. Dawson right off the bat.

"It's Rachel. Mrs. Dawson was my mother," she told them. "Now how did you all meet?" Rachel ushered everyone to the backyard, where the pool was uncovered, and Eric was grilling out. Tommy explained how he had met Brandy through Rose, and Fabri had met Izzy at the bar one night with Tommy.

"Owwww." The groan came from Tommy as he sat in the patio chair. "I'm going to be hurting for weeks," he complained.

"We all are," Fabri mentioned. "That was the last time I paint ball. Ever."

Eric stepped away from the grill to grab a beer from the cooler on the patio. "So I'm guessing you guys went paint balling, and these three beautiful women kicked all of your asses?"

"They cheated," Jack joked. "We had no idea that anyone of them could hold a gun, much less shoot one." After the match yesterday, when the girls had claimed victory, they revealed that they knew what they were doing going in. The guys immediately cried foul and demanded a rematch. Now that their welts and bruises from the paint balls had had time to swell up, they won't so sure.

"Okay look," Rose began. "If I call in a prescription for Vicodin or Tylenol three, will you stop complaining?" She asked the question sincerely, since her friends were in pain.

"Yes," the three of them answered in unison. Rose laughed and went inside to find the phone number to Walgreens. On her way in, she heard Eric call the three of them a bunch of pansies and laughed to herself. She looked over her shoulder and saw her friends, whom she considered family, and smiled.

The afternoon led to the evening, and the evening took them all into a late night. Rachel had insisted that they all remain there for the evening, since they were all drinking. It didn't help that Jack, Tommy and Fabri had each taken a painkiller either. No one argued.

Instead, Eric built a raging bonfire in the back yard, and the eight of them sat out until the wee hours of the morning. They shared embarrassing stories, and Rose remembered the photos of Jack and Fabri dressed drag. When Rachel went inside to use the bathroom, Rose followed to ask for the copies. Fabri turns about six shades of red when he saw her hand the picture to Izzy. The night continued until the wee hours of the morning, when a storm began to roll in. Rose and Jack both recalled the night they had first made love, after being drenched in a storm.

Now Rose sat back on the dock by the lake, the next day. Their friends had left that afternoon, and they had the next week to themselves. The sun was setting, and she sighed. Jack had spent the better part of the day at his parents', helping Eric patch a hole in the roof. Rose decided to stay here and enjoy some peace and quiet. Everyday around sunset, Rose found herself talking to her lost son, and saying a prayer for him.

A rustle in the nearby cattails caught her attention and she turned. The sight her eyes fell upon was enough to break her heart. The dog was skinny, damn near emaciated. Its ribs and hip bones stuck out. It looked at Rose pitifully, it's brown eyes dull and lifeless.

"Hey fella," she whispered. Immediately the dog began to wag its tail, and its ears perked up. "It's okay. I'm not gonna hurt ya." Rose proceeded with caution, not knowing anything about the dog. For all she knew, it could be rabid, or be aggressive. Gingerly she leaned a hand forward for the dog to sniff. The dog walked slowly, but steadily forward, and Rose took the opportunity to peak underneath the dog's pathetic body enough to see that it was female.

"Good girl," she said softly. The dog sniffed Rose's hand, and suddenly licked it. Rose couldn't help but smile. "That's a good baby." Suddenly the dog rubbed her head up against Rose's arm and plopped down beside her, laying her head in Rose's lap. "I bet you're hungry aren't you?" The dog picked her head up and cocked her head to the side, as if she understood what Rose was saying. "C'mon. I'll get you something to eat."

Rose stood up and the dog followed her back to the cabin. Rose opened the door and the dog followed her inside, went to the small fridge, and promptly sat her butt on the floor. Rose couldn't help but laugh. She opened the door and found a unopened package of hot dogs. Knowing the dog wouldn't care that they were cold, she ripped it open and before she knew it the dog had ate every last one. Rose leaned forward to scratch her behind the ears, but the dog immediately began to lick Rose's face in gratitude. Finding a bowl in a kitchen counter, she filled it with water and brought it out to the porch of the cabin.

Rose sat on the swing, and the dog drank almost all of the water. Giving Rose a final lick on the knee, the dog plopped at her feet. Rose didn't know how, but she knew that she was going to talk Jack into keeping this poor discarded mutt. And that's exactly what she did when he returned a few hours later.


	31. Marry Me

**A/N: I have no clue where I got the name for the dog. Maybe it's cuz I had a friend who was nicknamed that, or maybe I was picking my nose. (Kidding about the latter one LOL) I'm picking up speed again. Big things ahead for them!**

It had taken Rose all of five minutes to sweet talk Jack into keeping the dog that she found. Rose actually preferred to think that the dog had found her. They took it to the vet, where it was checked out and quarantined before being given a clean bill of health. Rose almost cried leaving the poor thing at the vet, as the dog whined as she walked out of the room. They extended their vacation a couple more days, and adopted the dog. The moment Rose walked in the door, the dog jumped on her, kissing her face. The vet estimated her to be around two years old. She was a pit bull and boxer mix. The dog took to Jack as well. When Jack jokingly called her a little booger as she hoped into the car, the dog wagged her tail and barked. Booger became her name.

The rest of the summer flew by. Before they knew it, the leaves were changing colors and the sun was setting earlier each evening. They had to dig out light jackets to take Booger for her walks.

Booger was a good dog from the start. They assumed she had been dumped by previous owners, not a stray. It took no time to house break her and crate train her. She was spoiled, but well behaved. Though they swore never to feed her human food, Jack and Rose often caught each other giving Booger a nibble here and there. In the evenings, when Rose was home, Booger laid loyally at their feet while the cuddled on the couch. And she never once whined when they shut the bedroom door to make love. Although she had her own bed on the floor, every night she leaped into their bed and snuggled up to them.

As winter edged closer to the city, both Jack and Rose had the same thing on their minds. Thanksgiving would be here soon. Followed by Christmas, when they had first felt their baby kick. A week later they would be mourning the loss of their son all over again, on New Year's Eve. Rose had been on the pill since shortly after her return from Haiti, but something inside of her was awakening as much as it was awakening inside of Jack.

_**...**_

"Hey hun," Rose greeted Jack as she stepped out onto the balcony. It was three days after Thanksgiving. They had spent the holiday with only each other. Jack's parents had gone on a cruise to the Bahamas. Tommy took Brandy, her three kids as well, to his parents for the long weekend. And Fabri and Izzy had gone to Italy until after New Year's.

"Hey babe. How was your day?" Jack emptied his beer and tossed it in the recycling bin they left out here. Booger laid at his feet, sleeping.

"Fine. Nothing exciting," Rose told him as she dropped a kiss on his cheek. Booger heard Rose and woke up. "Hi girl. Wanna go back inside?" The dog wagged her tail, as it was chilly outside. Rose slide the door open and Booger dashed inside and promptly curled up on the couch. "Jack sweetie? Are you okay? You look deep in thought."

"I am," he confessed. "It's just the time of year I guess," he added with a shrug, trying to seem casual.

Rose zipped her coat up further and sat on his lap, instead of on the chair next to him. "He's been on my mind too." She kissed his forehead as he wrapped an arm around her waist.

Jack pulled back to look into her eyes. She shivered. Whether it was from the cold or from the look, she didn't know. "It isn't fair," he said. His eyes glazed over with tears. "Do you ever think about trying again," he suddenly blurted out.

Feeling like she had been tossed into a fresh snow bank, she froze. "What?"

"That didn't come exactly as I wanted it to," he muttered, looking down. "It's just-"

"Yes," she said cutting him off. He whipped his head back up to look at her. "I've been thinking about it a lot lately to be honest." She pulled herself from his grip and went inside for a moment, returning with two fresh beers.

"Rose, I'm sorry," Jack began. She looked at him. _What in the world does he think he has to be sorry for?_

"Look, I don't know what you're apologizing for, but don't. Like I said, I've been thinking about it too. I miss our son so much, even though we never met him. When the idea first occurred to me, I felt like a horrible person," she told him. She leaned against the railing and played with the label on the bottle.

"Because you thought getting pregnant again would be like replacing the child we lost," Jack said. He had so much certainty in his voice, it caught Rose off guard. She often liked to think he didn't know her as well as he did.

"Jack, three years ago I didn't even want children. I told you about the abortion. But now," she paused not knowing what to say. "After falling in love with you, and becoming pregnant without planning it, my perspectives have changed."

Jack placed his beer on the small table beside him and stood to embrace her. "Meaning what sweetheart?"

"Oh Jack." A tear zigzagging down her cheek surprised her, but Jack quickly wiped it away. "I want to have a baby with you. I want to build a life and a family with you." Jack smiled at her words. "All my life, I was so focused on my career. Sure I was married, but having children was out of the question. Then Cal cheated on me. Three months later, you walk into my life."

"I didn't exactly walk in," he joked. "I was wheeled in on a gurney." Rose laughed and punched him in the shoulder playfully.

"You know what I mean," she said with a smile. "Everything changed. I didn't think I'd fall in love so soon after being hurt so bad. I didn't think I'd fall in love ever to be honest. But from the first time you looked at me, I felt different."

"Different how?" He held her face in both hands, making her look him the eyes.

"I felt like the best thing in the world was about to happen to me," she told him, making him smile. "You are the best thing that's ever happened to me. The amount of fun we've had over this past year and then some...Cal and I didn't have that kind of fun in ten years of marriage."

"So what are you saying Rose?"

"Jack. I want to spend the rest of my life with you making memories like the ones we've made so far. But I want to make some of those memories with our children." Rose heard Jack's breath catch in his throat.

"Sweetheart, are you saying what I think you're saying?" Tears began to flow freely from his eyes. "You want to have children with me?" Rose nodded, smiling.

"On one condition Jack." _Oh my God, I can't believe I'm about to do this,_ she thought to herself.

"Name it," he told her.

Rose's heart beat faster by the second. Taking a deep breath, she told him of her one condition. "Marry me, Jack."


	32. Why Wait?

**A/N: Back after a couple days break. Hope you all had a fantastic weekend! I did! I was in the fourth row at the Rascal Flatts concert Saturday night! Anyways, I really hope you like this, because I went a fun way with it! And please forgive any small typos. I'm still on a high from the concert. :)**

Jack looked at Rose, completely speechless. "Wh- What did you just say?" Rose burst out into giggles, shocked at herself.

"I said marry me." Jack grabbed her hand and pulled her close, looking in her eyes. She saw his eyes brimming with tears. "Will you marry me Jack?"

He responded with a kiss, enjoying the way her body melted into his. Rose didn't notice him reach into his coat pocket and pull out a black velvet box. Keeping it from her sight, he broke away from the kiss.

"You sure know how to take the wind from a guy's sails," he joked and she laughed.

"Is that a yes?" Jack enjoyed the way her face brightened at the mere thought.

"Only if you wear this." He popped the box open and Rose let out a tiny gasp. Inside was an engagement ring. "I love you and all Rose, but this ring would subject me to a lot of jokes," he teased.

Rose wanted to speak, but she couldn't. Instead, she simply gave him her left hand, allowing him to slip the ring on her finger. "Wow look at that," he said. "It just got a whole lot duller now that it's on your hand."

"Are we just that connected," she asked, in awe. Jack smiled before pulling him to her.

"I think we are Rose. We can always go to the bedroom and make sure," he said, with a grin on his face. She pulled his face down so she could kiss his lips.

Jack reached up and pulled the clip from her hair, letting it fall freely. They didn't know who, but one of them opened the balcony door, letting them in out of the cold. Once inside, they each shed their winter coats, and kicked their shoes off.

Before Rose could react, Jack bent down and knocked her knees out from under her, swooping her up into her arms. He gave her small tender kisses, making sure he didn't stumble over anything.

"Practicing for the wedding night," Rose teased.

Jack waggled his eyebrows and gave her a grin. "Out Booger," he commanded the dog. Without further ado, Booger abandoned her spot in the middle of the bed and left the room. Jack kicked the door shut behind him. He laid Rose down on the bed, moving his lips in rhythm with hers. He didn't even break it when he reached up under her skirt to remove her thong.

Rose grabbed him by the shoulders and flipped him over so she was on top on him. He smiled as she leaned down to kiss him. Instead, she moved her face to the side, nibbling his ear, and purring. Straddling him, she felt the stiffness twitch between her legs. She began to unbutton his shirt, moving her lips down his chest as she did so.

Jack moaned, as she rubbed her pelvis against his crotch. When she reached the zipper to his jeans, she easily unzipped them and pulled them down just far enough. Her lips continued to travel down his body. He muttered her name when her mouth stopped traveling and stayed where it was. Jack ran his fingers through her hair and groaned, arching his back slightly.

While Rose enjoyed the power she currently had over him, she began to move her mouth back up to his. She flicked her tongue over one of his nipples, making him shudder. He grabbed her arms and pulled her to him. Rose went with the movement, and again straddled him. They were already soaked in sweat by the time Rose hiked her skirt up to settle on him. He yanked her shirt up over her head and pulled her body back to his.

_**...**_

"So when do you wanna get married?" Rose sat up and popped off her bra, which Jack had not removed, before laying back down against his chest. She looked at the ring on his finger, as her hand nestled on his chest.

"New Year's Eve," she said, much to Jack's surprise. "I know it sounds crazy right?"

"If it's what you want," he said, with some uncertainty in his voice. Rose propped herself up on her elbow to look at him.

"You know, I just threw it out there. If you don't want to," she said, letting her voice drop away. He quickly reached out and stroked her face.

"Rose, I want whatever makes you happy." She felt her face lift into a smile at his words. "Do you mind if I ask why you thought of then?"

"You and I both know what that day is. No matter what happens, we're always going to miss our son. But I wanna take a day that is sad and tragic for us, and fill it with hope." Rose noticed a tear slip down Jack's cheek. She leaned forward and kissed it away.

"Do you have any idea how incredibly amazing you are Rose," Jack whispered. "We'll get married on New Year's Eve," he told her before touching his lips to her.

_**...**_

Jack tossed the suitcase on the bed and turned around just in time to catch Rose as she leaped into his arms.

"I can't believe I let you talk me into this," he teased. "Mom and dad are gonna kick my ass." Rose laughed and dropped a kiss on his lips.

"Are you kidding? Brandy is going to kill me when she finds out what we did. She's going to be devastated that she wasn't my maid of honor." Jack laughed.

"As long as she waits until I'm the beneficiary on your life insurance," Jack said with a laugh. Although he was still carrying her, Rose managed to punch his arm, but it was a punch of love.

"So what should do first? Gamble? Go see a drag show? Get a hooker?" Jack rambled off the list with a smile.

"First of all Jack, you get a hooker, and watch how fast my life insurance policy changes. And second, you know what we're doing first. This is Vegas, and I want to at least be able to remember my wedding. If I don't remember the rest of it, I don't really care."

"You really think you're going to get that plastered," he asked, cocking an eyebrow.

"I was planning on it until you mentioned the hookers. Now I have to keep an eye on you," she teased. He kissed her, before placing her back on the floor.

"I am insulted and deeply hurt that you would even suggest such a thing," he proclaimed, feigning disappointment. "Come on Rose. Let's go get married."

Rose squealed and grabbed his hand. No one knew they were coming here to get married. Everyone simply thought they were going away for the weekend, and taking time to enjoy being with each other while mourning the loss of their son. While that was all true, they were coming here to throw some hope into their lives as well.

The tickets had been outrageously expensive, being that it was only a month away, and it was an airline holiday. Neither of them batted an eye at the cost, it wasn't going to hurt them. The hard part was keeping quiet. It was Rose's idea to elope. She explained to Jack that the only people she wanted with her on her wedding day was him, and someone to marry them. So they decided to forgo a big fancy wedding, with flower arrangements and tuxedos and gowns for Vegas. They knew they'd be content getting married by Elvis and wearing jeans and hoodies.

And that was exactly what they did. The vows were simple. The "I dos" were said. Jack placed a ring on Rose's finger and see placed a ring on his. The Elvis impersonator pronounced them husband and wife.

Both of them felt an insane rush of happiness jolt through them when he said, "Congratulations Mr. and Mrs. Dawson."


	33. Vegas

**A/N: Yeah this is pretty much fun and fluff. More action in the next one.**

Jack opened his eyes and immediately groaned. He pulled the covers back over his head, blocking out the bright, desert sun. Snuggling closer to Rose, he felt more content, even with a hammer beating around in his brain.

"How much did we drink," he muttered.

"Shhhhh." Jack smiled. Rose was suffering as much as he was. Well as far as he was concerned, they'd earned the right to suffer by toasting to their marriage one too many times. _Fuck beans, make that ten too many times,_ Jack thought as he dozed back off.

It was finally late afternoon when they managed to roll out of bed. Rose awoke first, grateful that the plug had been pulled from the jackhammer in her head. She looked over to Jack and smiled. He was still sound asleep. She brushed his hair from his eyes and kissed his cheek. He didn't even stir.

Grabbing a clean change of clothes, Rose knew the first thing she needed was a hot shower. The warm water felt like heaven. Afterward, she stood at the bathroom mirror to tweeze her eyebrows. The reflection of her left hand made her heart skip a beat. Along with her engagement ring, was her wedding band. Jack had them engraved without her knowing. Hers simply was engraved with his name, and his with hers. And she loved it.

Suddenly she didn't care about getting dressed. She was overcome with the urge to go show her husband how much she loved him. If he wasn't awake yet, she'd just wake him up.

"Good morning Mrs. Dawson," Jack said as she opened the bathroom door. The sight of her in nothing but a towel, her skin still damp, and her wet hair hanging down made him shiver.

"Morning? It's past three already," Rose told him with a giggle. "Do you remember anything other than getting married last night?"

"I remember that last night, was the best night of my life. So far at least." Rose climbed over him, teasing him every so slightly, before dropping to lay on her side of the bed.

Rose laid next to him, recalling the past twenty four hours. Before catching their flight, they had taken time to remember what the day was. Rose had been at work since the night before, and her shift ended at nine. She went down to the hospital chapel to light a candle for their son, and had been surprised to find Jack there.

Jack told her he just had a feeling like he was supposed to be there. So together they lit a candle, and said a prayer. They sat for a little while, silent. Jack wrapped an arm around Rose's shoulders and pulled her close. He didn't mind her tears leaving a spot on his shirt. Jack too, shed a few tears. After nearly an hour, Rose stood up and took Jack's hand. Hand in hand they walked away from the sorrow, and headed towards becoming husband and wife.

Now here they were, married. They had come back to the hotel, more specifically, The Mirage, and made love for the first time as husband and wife. Instead of going to the casino floor, or catching a show, they remained in bed. And they emptied the mini bar.

"We called for more alcohol after we emptied that mini bar didn't we," Jack asked.

Rose laughed. "I believe so. They say the average wedding cost twenty thousand dollars. We're closing in on it," she joked.

Jack smiled and pulled Rose's towel away. "Looking at this makes it all worth it." He tossed the sheets back and Rose pulled him on top of her.

_**...**_

It was nearly eight that evening before they finally emerged from their room. After making love, Jack had showered. He'd barely gotten enough time to rinse the shampoo from his hair when Rose joined him, telling him she couldn't keep her hands off her husband. Jack didn't mutter a word of complaint, confessing he had the same trouble with his wife.

Though tempted to not leave the room, they decided to go see Vegas. They had tonight, and tomorrow, as they would leave the morning after. They looked forward to revealing the news to everyone that they were married. Even if every single one gave them a hard time about it. They had each other, and that's what mattered.

_**...**_

"Hit me," Rose told the dealer. She looked at her hand, where she held fifteen. _What the hell? I only live once._ "Hit me." The dealer placed the next card down; six.

"Twenty one!" Jack's eyes almost popped out of his head. Rose had been playing blackjack for a mere twenty minutes, and had collected five hundred dollars. Meanwhile Jack, who was normally kick ass at poker, couldn't bluff his way through a card game here.

Rose tossed a chip on the dealer's table as a tip before walking away. "So I guess you're buying the next round," Jack teased her, taking her hand. Rose glanced at her watch.

"Nope. We're going to see Criss Angel Believe." Jack's eyes widened in surprise. He and Rose were severely addicted to his TV show, Mindfreak. "I bought the tickets before I joined you in the shower," she said with a giggle.

"Are you serious babe? You're the best wife ever," he said before giving her a kiss.

"I better be your only wife," she teased.

_**...**_

"I don't wanna leave Jack," Rose complained. "I'm having too much fun," she added with a pout. Jack laughed.

"You mean you aren't excited about getting back to our boring, everyday lives," he joked. This time Rose had to laugh.

"Somehow, I can foresee our lives being anything but that." She wrapped her arms around his back, and hugged him from behind. "Especially now."

Jack turned in her arms to face her. "What do you mean sweetie?" Rose's pout had flashed into a wide grin.

"I took my last pill this morning." Jack broke out into a smile, knowing she was talking about her birth control. "So I guess you could say we're officially trying."

Jack stroked her hair softly and leaned down to kiss her. The way his lips and tongue moved with hers, made them both dizzy. Moving his lips to her neck, he opened his eyes for just a moment to confirm they were all packed. Closing them again, he began to back her up towards the bed.

"What are you doing Jack? We have to leave in an hour." The last words came up more of a moan than the actual word as Jack nipped her earlobe.

He pulled up to give her a sultry look. "Practice makes perfect."


	34. A Hard Blow

**A/N: Thanks for reviews everyone!**

Jack casually threw his arm around Rose's shoulder as he pushed the door open to his old apartment. He had called Tommy before they had left Vegas, letting him know that they'd stop by to pick up Booger. Both him and Rose were excited to learn that Fabri and Izzy had returned from Italy the night before, and Brandy would be there as well. All of their friends would know tonight they ran off and got married. Well, if they noticed the rings, as they weren't planning to say a word.

"Hey! How was Vegas," Fabri asked, handing Jack the beer he had just grabbed from the fridge, and turned to grab one for Rose and another for himself.

"Thanks Fabri," Rose said. She twisted the top of the bottle off. "It was great! Remember how Jack always beats you guys at poker? He lost a hundred bucks playing."

Jack sighed, knowing Rose wouldn't keep that secret. "It's true. I suck." The guys laughed at him while Jack shrugged off his coat, and took Rose's. He tossed them on an empty chair, grinning to himself when he saw his wedding band.

"Where are the girls," Rose asked Tommy. "And Booger?"

"Out walking Booger," he told her. "That dog is a cuddle whore."

Rose laughed. "Yeah she is. Have any trouble with her?"

Fabri shook his head. "Other than Tommy letting her steal my chair? No."

Just then Brandy and Izzy returned. Booger saw Rose and immediately charged her, spinning in circles and wagging her tail in excitement. Rose had no choice but to sit on the floor so Booger could give her a million welcome home kisses. Jack whistled to the dog, who didn't notice him at first, and she flew from Rose to welcome Jack home as well.

"Jeez. You'd think you guys were gone for a month, not three days," Izzy said with a laugh. "How was Vegas?"

"Yeah," Brandy said, tossing her coat on the same chair. "Are you broke?"

Jack didn't notice Fabri now staring at his left hand. "More importantly, are you married?"

"What?" Brandy whipped her head around to look at Rose. "You got married? And didn't tell me?"

"Brandy. Rose and I got married. There, I just told you," Jack joked. Brandy reached out and grabbed Rose's hand, and both her and Izzy admired the diamond on her finger.

"Telling me after? I can't be the maid of honor after the fact Jack," she hollered at him, jokingly.

Rose looked at Jack, who was smiling widely. "Told you she'd go crazy." They both began to laugh.

"So did you just decide to do it while you were there," Izzy asked. She too was laughing at Brandy's antics.

Jack walked up to Rose and put his arm around her shoulder, and his other around Brandy. "We still love you Bran. But we were engaged for a month." Together Jack and Rose told them of everything from them practically proposing to each other the same night, to why they decided to elope, to the tacky Vegas wedding.

After a round of congratulations from their friends, Jack spoke up. "That's not all."

"Rose is pregnant," Izzy proclaimed.

"Not yet," Rose corrected. "But soon hopefully. We're trying."

The six of them ordered a couple of pizzas, and Jack ran to the corner liquor store for more beer. Knowing Rose wouldn't be able to even get pregnant for a couple more weeks, they figured they were allowed another night of fun with their best friends. Jack had left his bed when he moved out, and figured he and Rose would stay the night there and head home in the morning. From there they would call his parents and invite them to Chicago for the weekend.

_**...**_

"Wait," Jack said. Rose sighed and turned around.

"What?" Jack bent down and swooped Rose up in one swift motion. "Carrying me over the threshold?"

He bent down and kissed her. "You bet. You can unlock the door now."

She found her key and slipped it into the lock as Jack balanced her. "You could have at least let me unlock the door first you know," she teased him.

Jack carried her inside, and Booger darted past them to hop on the couch. "If you're gonna give me a hard time about it, I'll drop you," he told her.

"No you wouldn't."

"Wanna bet?" Jack loosened his grip and pretended like he was indeed going to drop her. Rose held onto his neck, and let out a tiny scream. "Don't mess with me wifey," he told her non threateningly, before setting her back on the floor.

"Wifey? You're so cheesy," she told him. Rose gave him a quick kiss and grabbed the suitcase. "I'm gonna shower if you care to join me."

"I just might. Let me feed the dog and I'll be right in," he promised her. Rose smiled and headed for the bathroom, hearing Jack answer his phone as she closed the door.

Rose bathed quickly, so she could enjoy the hot shower with Jack and not forget to wash her hair like she had once or twice before. After ten minutes, Jack never appeared. More curious than concerned, Rose shut off the water and wrapped up in a towel, wondering if he had been sucked into a conversation on the phone.

"Jack?" She opened the door and saw him sitting on the couch, absentmindedly petting Booger, who had rested her head on his knee. He was simply staring off into space. "Babe?" She sat on the couch with him and noticed his face was whiter than a ghost. "Jack, what's wrong?" Rose squeezed his hand and finally got his attention.

"That was the..." Jack's words drifted away. Rose wrapped an arm around his shoulder, now scared.

"Jack, you're scaring me. What happened?"

"That was the Wisconsin State Police." Rose felt fear grip her harder. "There was an accident last night." Rose didn't notice that she was holding her breath. Jack turned to face her, his eyes glazed over. "They pulled my parents' car from the lake a couple hours ago."


	35. Jack's Rock

**A/N: Thanks for reviewing! Gotta say, I'm very glad I left the last chapter on a cliffhanger...**

Rose felt her legs go numb and was grateful to be seated.

"Oh God Jack." She struggled with finding the words to her next question. "Are they," was all she could manage.

"No! Jesus, I should have said that first." Rose felt her shaking ease, but it didn't stop. "They're in the hospital."

"How bad?" Jack shook his head, vague on details himself.

"Mom's pretty beat up. They didn't go into detail. Dad's suffering hypothermia." Rose felt her heart break when she heard the fear in Jack's voice.

"Let me get dressed and we'll go," she told him as she stood up. Jack just stared at her. "I'm serious Jack. "

_**...**_

Rose threw the car into park and got out. She reached Jack and took his hand, giving him a squeeze of reassurance. He gave her a half hearted smile.

"Can I help you?" Rose gave the nurse a genuine smile.

"Yes. We're looking for Eric and Rachel Dawson. They were brought in here after a car accident," Rose stated. She glanced at Jack, who resembled a drugged person.

"And you are?"

"Their son and daughter-in-law," Rose stated.

The nurse simply nodded and checked the computer. "Mrs. Dawson is in room one oh eight, and Mr. Dawson is in room one twelve." Rose thanked her before turning and pulling Jack with her.

They came across Eric's room first, and saw he was sound asleep. Rose turned to Jack. "I'll sit with him. Go find mom," she told him in a gentle tone. Jack nodded his head, and gave Rose a kiss on the forehead before going to his mom's bedside, just two rooms away.

Rose quietly walked into Eric's room and sat. Her doctor mode flipped on, and she took note of what medications were in his IV drip, and watched his vital signs on the monitor. His blood pressure was slightly below normal, but not low enough to cause concern.

A nurse walked in with his chart, and saw Rose. "Hi," her voice was quiet. "Are you his daughter?"

"In law," Rose told her. "What happened?"

"Well from what Mr. Dawson told the doctor, they were on their way home from church. As far as he can remember, the car hit a patch of ice, and he lost control. The car skidded down the embankment and into the lake. Mr. Dawson managed to get himself and his wife out of the car, before the ice cracked and the car went in. However he stepped on some thin ice and fell in. Fortunately, a passerby was able to pull him out just as the paramedics got there."

"What's his condition like," Rose asked quickly. She didn't notice Eric open his eyes.

"I've been through worse. I'll live darlin'. Don't worry," he told her with a hoarse voice. "How's Rachel?"

Rose took Eric's hand, happy to see he was alright and full of vigor. She turned to the nurse to see if she had the answer to Eric's question.

"Your wife is a little more serious than you are. She has a broken collarbone and a slight concussion. However, we think you're both going to be fine. She's just down the hall, two doors away. If you'd like, I can take you down there."

_**...**_

"Hey Jack," Rose said quietly. "How is she?" Jack rubbed his face with his hands before standing.

"I don't know. The nurse hasn't stopped by yet. And she's still asleep." Rose walked over to him and wrapped her arms around his waist. She felt a shift in his weight as he leaned on her.

"I just talked to the nurse. She's having dad brought in a few. He's going to be okay, and so is mom." Jack placed his lips to her forehead in gratitude.

"Jack?" Rachel's eyes fluttered open. "What the hell?"

Jack was by her side within seconds. "You and dad were in a car accident mom. You're both going to be okay," he assured her. At that moment Eric was wheeled in, mumbling something about being in a wheelchair like an old man. The comment made Rose smile.

Jack stood aside as he watched his parents assure each other that they were fine. Rose didn't know which parent Jack had more of in him. Eric was a tough man, but when it came to Rachel, he was a pussycat. Rachel was just a sweetheart, who wasn't afraid to speak her mind.

"So how did you two find out," Rachel asked.

"State Police called me," Jack replied. "Scared the shit out of us."

"Well it's all fine now," Rachel told them. "Wait, weren't you guys on vacation?"

"We got back yesterday morning," Rose told her. "And even if we were supposed to be there longer, we would have gotten on a plane." Jack smiled at his wife.

"So how was Vegas? Win a fortune playing poker Jack," Eric asked him. Jack and Rose both had to laugh.

"Nope. Lost a hundred. Rose won five hundred playing blackjack though," he told them.

"Marry her," Eric ordered and Rose burst out in giggles. "What? If Jack can't win on the tables in Vegas, he needs a wife who will."

"I already did dad," Jack said proudly. "That's why we went to Vegas."

"What?" The question came from both Rachel and Eric in unison. Rose held out her hand to show them her rings.

"Oh honey! I'm so happy to hear that! I can't believe someone finally made an honest man out of my son," Rachel exclaimed. Rose leaned down and hugged Rachel. There was actually a round of hugs before the nurse came in to announce that visiting hours had ended. Jack and Rose told them good-bye and promised to be by in the morning to pick them up.

_**...**_

"Why don't you start a fire honey? I'll find something for us to eat," Rose said as they walked into the house. They were staying at his parents' for the night. It was better than a hotel, and they had brought the dog with.

"C'mon Boog, let's go outside," Jack called to her. The dog followed him as he went to get some firewood. Rose searched through the pantry and found something quick and easy to fix, while Jack built a roaring fire.

After they had eaten and changed into pajamas, they snuggled up under a blanket, with the fire roaring. They had flipped on the TV, and settled down to watch the Chicago Bears play the Green Bay Packers.

"You know," Jack said as he ran his fingers through her hair. "We're probably the only Bears fans within a twenty mile radius." Rose laughed.

"Good thing we're locked up inside here then." She snuggled up against him, resting her head on her shoulder. "And good thing you're parents aren't here. We'd be arguing the whole night." Jack laughed. His parents had been life long Packers fans, but growing up in Chicago, Jack had become a full fledged Bears fan and had successfully gotten Rose interested in football.

"I love you Rosebud." Rose smiled at Jack's new name for her, and looked at him quizzically. "Don't ask, it just popped into my head." Rose kissed his cheek.

"I love you too...Jack." He laughed at her failure to reciprocate a new name. "Give me time, I'll come up with something." Again she settled her head onto his shoulder, and they continued to watch the game.

"I don't know if I could have handled today without sweetheart," Jack said suddenly. Rose sat up to meet his eyes. "You were so strong for me."

"Jack," she whispered. He placed a finger on her lips.

"You're my rock Rose. I probably would have lost my damn mind if you weren't here with me. Somehow just by being here with me, you helped me keep it together." He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close. Rose felt a tear slide down her cheek, as she was simply blown away by his words.


	36. We're Having A Baby!

**A/N: As always, thanks for reviewing! I'm moving things along here. :) And just so you're not confused, by the end of the chapter, it'll be just shy of 2 years since they met.**

Rose glanced at her watch, and saw she had a minute to go. Her heart was racing, and her palms were sweaty. Her and Jack had been trying for seven months to get pregnant now. Every month that passed with a negative test, they both grew more nervous that they may not be able to conceive. If nothing had happened in a year's time, then they would see a fertility doctor about it.

Glancing at her watch again, she saw the time was up. She had been staring at the wall, unable to look at the test too early. Taking a deep breath, she turned around and looked down to the stick laying on the counter.

Rose almost fainted when she saw the plus sign. She actually gripped the counter to steady herself. _I'm pregnant! Jack and I are going have a baby! _ Then it dawned on her that Jack was still sound asleep. It was four in the morning. Rose had simply woken up to use the bathroom and something told her to take the test.

Even if Jack had to wake early for work, she would have woken him anyways. Grabbing the test from the counter, she went back into their room and started to shake him awake.

"Jack honey. Wake up." Jack groaned and rolled over.

"Five more minutes," he told her, sounding like a kid who didn't want to get up for school.

Not giving up, Rose leaned in close to his ear. "Jack. I'm pregnant," she said quietly with a smile in her voice.

"That's nice sweetie," Jack replied, still half asleep. "I'm so happy for you." Rose giggled. She had suspected this would be his response. Over the past two years, she'd been able to hold conversations with him in his sleep, and this was no different.

Either her giggles brought Jack to, or he had been awake enough to comprehend what Rose had said. His eyes snapped open and he sat up in bed and looked at her.

"Did you just say you're pregnant?" Rose felt her face break into a huge smile and held out the test for him to see. "Yeah, cuz I know how to read those," he joked. "Tell me."

"I'm pregnant Jack!" He threw his arms around her. "We're having a baby," she said in a whisper. He pulled back to look in her eyes. "I love you Jack."

"I love you too Rosebud." Jack glanced at her lips just once before letting his crash down on them.

_**...**_

"Ten bucks says it's a girl," Rose said. She rubbed her bump tenderly. She was five months along now. Those five months had flown by. It was just after New Year's. They had celebrated Christmas at Rachel and Eric's. For their one year wedding anniversary, they simply stayed home and enjoyed an evening to themselves while watching the countdown on TV.

"You're on," Jack replied. "You know if we have a girl, I'm buying a gun when she starts dating." Rose laughed. "Don't laugh. If she comes out looking like you, she'll have boys lined up at the door," he said. "Teenage boys," he stressed, with a sarcastic hint in his voice.

Rose just smile and took his hand. They walked together into the ultrasound room.

"Hey there Rose, Jack," the ultrasound tech greeted. "I'm all ready for you." She tossed Rose a gown and stepped from the room for a moment while Rose changed. By the time she came back in, Rose had laid on the table and pulled the gown up to expose her belly.

"Alright then. This will take about a half hour, I have a lot of measurements to take. If I can get a clear shot, do you want to know the sex of the baby?"

"Yes we do," Jack said. He sat on the chair next to Rose and held her hand. Together they watched the picture on the screen. The baby was moving around, which Rose could feel as well as see. At one point the fetus grabbed it's ear, as if it had just discovered it. Then it did a complete somersault. "Looks like it's having fun," Jack whispered in Rose's ear, making her smile.

"If you lived a water bed, you'd have fun like that too," she commented.

"Actually it looks like _she's_ having fun," said the tech. "From the looks of things, you're having a girl." Rose looked at Jack with a silly grin. Despite what he had said earlier, his grin was just as silly.

"You owe me ten bucks," she told him.

_**...**_

Rose enjoyed the way the spring breeze played with her hair. Looking out at the lake, she daydreamed of taking her daughter there someday. Just as she thought that, she baby jammed her in the ribs.

"Keep doing that and we'll see about going to the beach," she told her bump.

"What about the beach?" Rose jumped, not having heard Jack come in.

"Hey." She planted a kiss on his lips. "How was your day?" Rose leaned into his chest, hugging him.

"Busy. But I have good news!" Rose looked to him eagerly. The due date for the baby was June twelfth, which was perfect timing. Jack would be done with school until late August, which had slightly eased Rose's worries about returning to work after her maternity leave.

"Tell me," she said somewhat excitedly.

"I got the position," he exclaimed. "Same pay, less hours, and I get to work from home!" Rose let out a scream of excitement. Ever since a position had opened at his school for a teacher for online courses, Jack had been kicking ass to get it. And it paid off.

"Oh Jack! That is so good to hear! I'm so happy for you, for us," she exclaimed as she kissed him. After she pulled away, she looked at him with a funny look.

"What?"

"Are you sure you're okay with being a stay at home dad?" Jack laughed.

"Rose it's one of the few things I've ever been sure of." The baby gave a hard kick. Rose was still next to him, and he felt the kick against his stomach as well. "See? She's excited about it too." He kissed her forehead. "Come on. Let's take Booger for a walk down on the beach."

Rose took his hand. "Why? Do they need a whale on it?"

_**...**_

Rose paced back and forth in the kitchen, having been awake for hours. The dull ache in her lower back wouldn't go away and she was almost positive she had felt a couple of weak contractions. While tempted to wake up Jack, she let him sleep until she knew for sure that she was going into labor.

She felt her abdominal area tighten again, this time a little more fiercely. She was glad Brandy and Tommy had again agreed to take the dog once her due date hit. There was no telling how long she'd be in labor for and how long the hospital stay would be. But she was already a five days late. Not uncommon, but Rose was past uncomfortable.

The contraction eased and she waddled back to the bedroom. Jack was in a tangle of sheets, and the sight made her smile. Just as she sat on the bed and leaned over to wake him, she felt a wet gush from between her legs. _Well now I know for sure that I'm in labor,_ she thought. She didn't know how she could be excited, nervous, and calm all at the same time.

Rose touched Jack's shoulder and shook him awake. "Jack. We've got to go. My water just broke."


	37. Victoria Faith Dawson

**A/N: I kinda used my childbirth experience for this chapter here. (No, my daughter doesn't have the same name LOL) And thanks for reviewing!**

Rose took another deep breath and let it out slowly as another contraction hit her. She'd been here for eight hours already and it was a long process. It wasn't all that surprising, as she had read and been told that the first labor was usually the longest and hardest.

"Okay that's it. Forget everything I said about natural childbirth," she said, somewhat sharply as the contraction eased. "I don't care that women have been doing this for thousands of years without anything to relieve the pain." She grabbed her call button and paged a nurse.

Jack was almost tempted to tease her, but thought it was probably in his best interest not to. He couldn't suppress the grin on his face though. "Are you sure baby?"

"Believe me, I'm positive." Jack leaned over and kissed her cheek. The nurse walked in, and Rose asked for the epidural. It wasn't long after that a team came in and got her prepped for the procedure.

Rose sat up on the bed and hunched over, giving the anesthesiologists a clear shot. Jack stood by her side, supporting her. Rose shivered when they washed her back with the iodine and Jack squeezed her hand as the needle was inserted into her back. It was over as quickly as it began.

"That's it? I didn't even feel that," Rose said as she laid back down. The anesthesiologist gave a small laugh.

"Most women don't. I think a little needle prick compared to contractions is nothing," he told her. "You should be losing sensation any minute now." He checked the monitor, which was tracking her contractions. "Are you feeling anything?"

"A little pressure in my back, but not pain," Rose responded.

"Alright good. That's probably want you'll be feeling for awhile until you get closer to delivery," he told her before leaving.

"You should try and get some rest sweetie," Jack told her. "Save your strength." Rose nodded and tried to settle down for a nap.

_**...**_

Jack looked over at Rose. It didn't surprise him that Rose was sound asleep. Her labor had been hard and slow. After a total of twenty six hours, counting back from when her water broke, she had been given a C-section.

Rose had handled it with courage and the occasion grimace of pain. The epidural had provided some relief to her, but not total. While the pain was gone, Rose still had a great deal of pressure in her back. She had been able to take a few catnaps, but they lasted no longer than fifteen minutes.

Then her labor just stopped. So they took her in to surgery. She was awake, but numb from the waist down. Jack had garbed up and held her hand throughout the procedure. He watched intently as the doctors pulled the tiny infant out and she screamed as she took her first breath. Jack bent down to kiss Rose's forehead and told her he loved her.

Jack smiled now, as he looked down at his daughter. She was only three hours old. Though she had been sleeping since she was born, she started to stir. Jack reached down and gently picked her up, holding her neck steady.

"Shhhh. It's okay sweetie. Nothing to worry about." He gently rocked her back and forth and walked around the room. "I know it's kinda scary for you. After all you just spent the last nine months in your mama's belly where it was warm and dark. Now you're out here. And sure it's a little cold and really bright. But I promise I'm gonna keep you safe no matter what."

Rose had opened her eyes when Jack started talking to the baby. He hadn't noticed, and she didn't want to disturb him. She was smiling as she watched Jack bond with their daughter. When he turned and saw her watching, he returned her smile.

"You're a natural Jack," she said quietly. The baby had dozed back off in Jack's arms.

"It feels natural," he told her in a voice barely above a whisper as he laid the baby back down in her crib. "She's this tiny little person who knows nothing and does nothing, and it's our job to protect her and teach her about the world."

Rose grabbed Jack's hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. "She already has you wrapped around her finger doesn't she?" Jack laughed and sat beside her.

"About as much as you do." Rose smiled. "How are you feeling sweetie?" Rose looked like she had been run over by a train, and he assumed she felt about the same way. Her hair had been pulled into a ponytail, but strands had come loose and were going every which way. Her face was pale, and her eyes were bloodshot. She had a kind of doped up look in her eyes, which Jack presumed to be an effect of the morphine drip they'd given her after surgery.

"Tired and sore. I'm still a little numb from the spinal block. Once that wears off, I'll probably feel worse." She saw the concern in Jack's eyes. "Don't worry, I'll be fine. You should know the feeling, and you were worse off than me when you had surgery," she teased.

"Yeah I was, wasn't I?" She laughed. "I promise I'll take extra special care of you until you're better Rose. Don't worry about dirty diapers or anything." Rose giggled at the mental image of Jack changing a diaper. Just then, the baby began to stir again. Jack quickly got to feet.

"Bring her here Jack. Maybe she's hungry." Jack handed her their daughter and watched, somewhat mesmerized as Rose offered her breast to the baby. The look on his face made her smile. "She needs a name Jack."

"I'm content with calling her Baby Girl Dawson," he joked. "Do you have any ideas?"

"Not really," Rose told him. "What about you?"

"I've always liked the name Victoria," he said. "But that's just one of a million names we could name her."

"Victoria," Rose repeated, letting the name roll of her tongue. "Victoria Dawson. We need a middle name that flows with it."

"Grace? Anne?"

"Faith. Victoria Faith Dawson."


	38. Becoming Parents

**A/N: Thanks for reviewing!**

After a two day stay in the hospital, Rose held little Victoria in her arms as she was wheeled out of the hospital. Jack had installed, uninstalled, reinstalled, and finally had a local cop perform a safety check on the car seat. His protective nature of his daughter made Rose feel slightly giddy with happiness, adding to her long list of emotions.

The ride home was short, as it was a Sunday afternoon. And all too soon Rose was walking into their home. "Welcome home Victoria," she whispered. The baby gave a tiny yawn, and she again dozed off.

"We should take advantage of her sleeping Rosebud." Jack's voice was so low, Rose was amazed she could hear him. "I'm sure you could use a few hours of sleep in your own bed," he added, kissing her temple.

The simple idea of sleeping in her own bed completely took over Rose's mind. Taking Victoria, she laid her down in the brand new bassinet Jack's parents had bought them. She looked around the nursery and smiled. When she had bought this condo, the second bedroom seemed useless. All it contained was a futon and an extra TV. Granted Brandy had crashed in there many nights, Rose had seen no other purpose for it.

Until she came home from working a double shift to find a surprise baby shower. The thought of having one hadn't even occurred to her, as she was only six months along at the time. Brandy and Tommy had bought them so many clothes, Rose was quite sure Victoria wouldn't be able to wear them all before she grew out of them. Fabri and Izzy had bought them a new crib. It wasn't set up yet, but would take the place of the bassinet as Victoria grew.

Rose had been worried about the dog's reaction, but Booger had a protective nature about her. Checking to make sure the baby monitor was on, Rose closed the door quietly behind her. Booger laid down in front of the door, causing both her and Jack to laugh.

"See? I told you she was a good dog," Jack commented. "Her and Victoria will get along just fine. Before we know it, the poor dog will be subjected to being ridden."

Rose laughed, but was cut off by a yawn. "I'm gonna get some sleep. Let me know if you need anything." She gave Jack a quick kiss and went to take a nap. Jack smiled to himself as he watched her close the door behind her.

_**...**_

The next six weeks flew by, although they felt like an hour to Jack and Rose. It only took them a few days to get a routine down pat. When Victoria would wake at night for a feeding, Jack would get her, change her, and bring her to Rose. Rose would then feed her, burp her, and put her back to bed. They adjusted to sleeping for only two or three hours at a time. Rose laughed the first time Victoria had spit up, mainly because she had in Jack's arms at the time. When the roles were reversed the next day, Rose didn't find it so funny.

But all too soon it was time for Rose to return to work. Jack had started working with his online courses a week ago, and after a few tricks, managed to set up a schedule around Victoria's schedule of eating, sleeping, and pooping.

Jack walked up behind Rose and wrapped his arms around her waist as she gazed down at the baby, who had a full tummy and a fresh diaper. "She'll be fine Rosebud," he assured her.

"I know. I'm just gonna miss her." She turned to face Jack.

"Are you gonna miss me?" Jack gave a fake pout.

"If I find time to miss you in between missing Victoria, yes," she teased him. Jack kissed the tip of her nose and walked her to the door. As she reached for the door knob, Rose turned back one more time.

"We'll be fine honey. Look I don't have anything to do but set up the assignment schedule for my class. There's plenty of breast milk in the fridge. I have more than enough diapers and wipes." Rose sighed, content with his reassurance. Jack gave her a kiss, assuring her more.

"I love you Jack."

"I love you too baby. And I promise I'll call you if we need something." Feeling a little better, Rose finally left for work. She only had to work a half shift for the next few days, as she adjusted to everything.

For the next two and a half hours, Jack quickly compiled his assignment schedule. He was going to miss actually being among the students, but he looked forward to spending so much time with his daughter.

With perfect timing, Jack hit the save button as Victoria began to fuss. Quickly, he went to the fridge and grabbed a bottle and placed it in a pot of warm water to take the chill away. In just a few moments, he took the bottle and placed it on the end table and went to pick up Victoria.

"Hey baby girl." He kept his voice low and gentle. Jack took her to the changing table to quickly change her, glad that for once it was not a horrid mess. She fussed the whole way through the diaper change. But as soon as Jack picked her up and cradled her, she quieted down. Carrying her to the couch he grabbed the bottle as he sat to feed her.

Victoria pushed the bottle away. Jack tried again, and she turned her head, refusing it. "Aren't you hungry Vicki? I know mama's no where around, but I promise it's the real thing...it's just...not from the tap." Jack gave a little chuckle, realizing what he had said. The baby still refused the bottle. "I bet I know what you want."

Jack stood, and laid her very carefully in the crook of the couch, where she couldn't fall off, not that she could roll over yet. He had paid attention when Rose fed Victoria from the bottle. She had refused the bottle then too. Without a word, Rose handed the baby to Jack and took off her shirt, but left her bra on. Once Victoria felt the skin on skin contact, she took the bottle.

Picking up Victoria again, this time without his shirt on, he sat back down and again offered her the bottle. Immediately she took it. Jack sat back, feeling a little pleased with himself as he hummed a lullaby to her. Of course the feeling of being pleased went away when she spit up while Jack was burping her.

_**...**_

Rose went to the computer and signed out. The past six hours had been the longest of her life. Even though she had spoken to Jack a couple hours ago, she was eager to return home to her husband and baby girl.

She closed the door just as Jack came out of the nursery. "Hey honey. How are you?" Rose hugged him as if she hadn't seen him in months. "So you did miss me," he teased.

"More than I thought I would. How's Vicki," Rose asked, looking to the nursery door.

"She just fell back to sleep. She's full and dry." Rose let out a breath, surprised at the relief she felt. "How was your first day back at work?" He wrapped his arm around her shoulder as she walked towards the bedroom.

"Long. I think I'm gonna take a shower." Jack nodded and kissed her cheek. She grabbed some clean pajamas from the dresser drawer. Jack had gone to the kitchen to make some dinner. She had seen that he was in just jeans when she came home, but now she really took notice as she started for the bathroom. Rose tossed her clothes into the bathroom and walked up behind him.

"How are you gonna shower in here," he joked when he turned and saw her. Instead of replying, Rose wrapped a hand around his neck and pulled him to her for a kiss.

"Grab some clean clothes and the monitor. Come shower with me Jack."


	39. Love Like Crazy

**A/N: So sorry it took so long! I had several different ideas on where to take this, and it just took me forever to settle on this one. I'm moving in less than a week, so this may be the last chapter for awhile! **

Jack kept his eyes closed, sighing at the sunlight that was streaming into the window. Knowing they'd only have a few more minutes of peace, he wrapped his arm around Rose and pulled her closer. She sighed, and snuggled up against him, also aware that at any moment, Vicki would burst through the door and leap into bed with them.

It was rare for Vicki not to do so. In the past five years, Vicki had become a little fireball, which Jack lovingly blamed Rose for. Jack opened his eyes and looked at Rose. Her long red curls were now short, just above her shoulders. It was a deeper red than ever. A few years ago, she decided on whim to color it darker, and add blond highlights. Jack teased her that she was going gray, which she denied. Smiling, Jack knew he loved her no matter what color her hair was.

"Do you think if we just stay quiet and don't move, she'll think we'll still asleep?" Rose was whispering, as if it was really true. Jack chuckled. "You're right. She'd jump on us anyways." She threw back the blanket and grabbed her pajama pants from the floor to pull over her shorts. "I'll tell her you're still asleep." Rose dropped a kiss on Jack's lips before heading to the kitchen to make breakfast.

Rose stood there pouring pancake batter onto the pan, when Vicki burst out of her room. "Good morning mommy!" Rose laughed as the eager five year old clung to her legs. "Where's daddy?" Rose put the spatula aside and picked up her daughter.

"Daddy's still asleep. But I'm making pancakes for breakfast, so how about you go wake him up," Rose told her with a laugh. It had been Rose's intention all along to have Vicki leap on her father, and avoid it in the process. Giving Vicki a kiss on the cheek, she placed her back on the floor and watched her run into the bedroom, laughing as she heard the 'Oompf' Jack let out.

"Daddy! Wake up! Mommy's making pancakes!" Jack laughed and brushed Vicki's mess of hair from her eyes. Her hair had been blonder than blond when she was born, but it was beginning to take on reddish tones and curls. Her eyes still, were all Jack's.

"Pancakes huh? How many you gonna eat today?" Vicki giggled and wrapped her arms around Jack's neck, hugging him.

"As many as I can! I'll save some for you though!" Jack smiled. He couldn't believe how quickly the past five years had flown by. One day he was feeding her from a bottle, and the next she was tackling him every morning.

"Well that's a relief. I'd hate to miss out on pancakes." Vicki again let out a giggle. To this day, Jack couldn't decide whose laugh she had inherited, but he didn't care. All he cared about was how much he loved his little girl.

Vicki climbed off of him, long enough for him to pull on a t-shirt. He sighed, missing the days he had Rose had been able to sleep naked. As he sat on the bed, pulling on some socks, she scrambled up his back. Jack laughed, and carried her out into the living room on his back.

"What happened to telling her I was still asleep." he asked Rose, who laughed.

"I did tell her that," she protested. "I didn't say anything about not letting her wake you up though." Jack crouched low enough for Vicki to hop off onto the couch. Within seconds, she took off into her bedroom to get dressed for the day. Booger followed, tail wagging.

"Remember how I told you Vicki and the dog would get along great?" He pulled Rose close to him and kissed her lips. "Damned dog won't leave her side."

"I know, you were right," she told him, turning to flip a pancake.

"Wait. What was that? I was right?" Rose laughed. "I'm going to take a quick shower." He kissed her cheek and headed off to the bathroom.

The phone rang, and Rose wondered who it could be. Turning the stove off as she flipped the last pancake from the pan, she grabbed the cordless from the end table.

"Hello," she greeted. She could hear Vicki watching cartoons in her bedroom.

"Is this Dr. Rose Dawson," asked a female voice on the other line.

"This is. Can you hold on second?" The caller agreed. Rose went to Vicki's room and asked her to close the door slightly because she was on the phone. "Sorry about that."

"That's quite alright Dr. Dawson. I'm Amanda Spencer. I'm a headhunter, calling on behalf of the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center. They are going to have an opening in about a month for a head trauma surgeon."

Rose felt her jaw drop. _UCLA? That's one the best hospitals in the country!_ "Oh my God." She simply couldn't think of anything else to say. Rose heard Amanda let out a small, but friendly laugh over the phone.

"I understand this is a rather big surprise. But you have an excellent record as a surgeon." Amanda went on, running over everything from where Rose went to medical school, to her trip to Haiti back in 2010, and everywhere in between.

Rose heard Jack go from the bathroom to the bedroom. _Would he even want to make this move? He's doing so well teaching, and he's got the job with the paper. What about Vicki? She doesn't start kindergarten until fall._ Rose's thoughts buzzed in her brain. Amanda was talking about money now, and Rose's eyes widened. Of course they'll pay higher, the cost of living on the west coast is higher.

"Now nothing has to be decided right this second Dr. Dawson," Amanda assured her. "I know this is a huge decision to make."

"Huge is kind of an understatement," Rose replied with a nervous laugh. "Do you have a number I can reach you back at?" Amanda rattled off a number and Rose wrote it down. "I have to discuss this with my husband, and I will get back to you."

The women said good-bye, and Rose stood there for a moment, dumbstruck.

"What do you have to discuss with you husband?" Rose jumped, not having heard Jack walk up behind her. "Is everything okay honey?"

Rose nodded. "That was a headhunter. From UCLA." Jack's eyes widened. "They want me Jack." She told him everything Amanda had told her, from the job opening, to the pay.

"Isn't UCLA one of the best hospitals in the country?" Rose looked to Jack, confused.

"Yes. But it's all the way across the country Jack. We have a life here. You have a job here." Rose said. She tried to hide the excitement in her voice at this opportunity, but failed. Jack picked up on it immediately.

"We can have a life in California. And I can find a job there too." Rose managed to hold in a smile at his words. "Rosebud, when we first started dating, I remember you mentioning one time that you would kill to work at a place like UCLA, or John Hopkins."

"Jack, that was seven years ago! A lot has changed in seven years." Rose didn't know why she was making a halfhearted attempt at fighting this. _Maybe it's because, despite your excitement, you're afraid of history repeating itself_, she thought, recalling what happened the last time she had relocated for a job.

"I can't disagree with you. But you know what hasn't changed?" He took her face in his hands. "My love for you." Rose smiled and leaned into kiss him. "No wait, I take that back. I love you more every day, so I guess it has changed."

"I'm scared," Rose admitted after pulling away from the kiss. He wrapped his arms around her and rested his chin on the top of her head.

"I know Rose." Jack knew her fear was due to the past, but he saw no need to bring Cal up in the conversation. "But no matter what happens, I'll love you. I swear that to you Rosebud." He pulled away to look at her. "Besides, do you have any idea how much Vicki will love California?"

"You're going to teach her to surf aren't you?" Jack laughed. The summer between high school and college he had spent in Santa Monica with Fabri and Tommy. He remembered telling the story of their surfing adventures to both Rose and Vicki just a mere five or six months ago.

"Vicki! Come here sweetie," Jack called. Within five seconds, Vicki was standing next to both of them. "Remember how I promised you I'd teach you to surf one day?" Vicki nodded, eagerly. "Well guess what? Mommy just got a job offer out in California."

"As a doctor," Vicki asked innocently. Rose scooped her up.

"Of course silly. At a very big hospital. What do you think of living in California?" Vicki smiled.

"Are we really gonna live there mommy?" Rose nodded. "Daddy, are you really gonna teach me to surf?" Jack laughed and kissed his daughter's forehead.

"Have I broken a promise yet?" Vicki shook her head, and Rose found herself doing the same. "You're gonna be a great surfer." Vicki giggled with excitement. Rose put her back on the floor, and she rushed back to her room to share the good news with Booger, who really could have cared less.

"Shit, I forgot about breakfast," Rose muttered. She took two steps before Jack grabbed her wrist. "What?"

Jack handed her the phone. "Make the call Rose, before they find someone who can't do half of the work you do."

"We're really doing this? We're going to California?" She took the phone from Jack and took a deep breath.

"We are. And we're going to make it count." Rose pulled him close to kiss him, then dialed the number Amanda had given her.


	40. The Rest Of Their Lives

**A/N: Well this is the end of Our Kind Of Love. Thanks to all for reading and reviewing! And also to RachelDalloway who helped me keep going on this when I had some issues! You're the best Rach!**

Rose stood on the back porch of their house in Santa Monica. The sun was setting, and seemed to sink right into the ocean. The sky had been a brilliant blue less than an hour ago, now it was a color she could only describe as blood orange. Jack walked up behind her and wrapped his arms around her.

Leaning into his touch, she sighed. "Vicki's all settled at Becca's house. I can't believe we have two whole days to ourselves." Rose smiled, excited at the thought, even though she'd miss her daughter while she stayed with her best friend for the weekend.

"I love it here Jack. I didn't think it was possible to be this happy." He kissed her temple in response.

"I didn't either Rosebud. I don't think I knew true happiness until I met you. Which was ten years ago today to be exact." Rose turned to look at him, eyes sparkling.

"Actually tomorrow will be ten years since you met me. Today's ten years since you were rolled into my OR," she teased.

"Either way, that car accident was the best thing that ever happened to me. It brought me to you." Jack reached into his pocket. "Happy anniversary sweetheart," he said, handing her a flat, velvet box.

Smiling, Rose took it from him. She opened the velvet box and gasped at the sight of the necklace. It was ten pearls on a simple gold chain, symbolizing the ten years they'd been in each others' lives. In the center of the pearls were three birthstones. One was Rose's, an amethyst for February. The middle was a ruby, which was Victoria's as she was born in early July, and the last was Jack's, a peridot for August.

"Jack, it's beautiful."

"You're beautiful," he replied, taking it from her and clasping it behind her neck. He wrapped his arms around her again, and they stared at the sun as the last sliver of it slipped below the horizon.

Moving to California had been one of the best moves of their lives together. It had been just under three years since they left Chicago. At first, they lived in a small apartment in Los Angeles. While it was easier for Rose to get to and from work, the crime rate in the city bothered them both, especially with Vicki.

So when the three of them came to the pier in Santa Monica one day, Jack and Rose suddenly began discussing buying a house there. It was safer, more beautiful, and not far for them to commute. So while Jack was out boogie boarding with Vicki, Rose grabbed a house magazine from the newsstand on the pier and started leafing through the pages.

It had taken her and Jack less than a week to find the house they wanted. It was a two story, three bedroom home. The rear of the house faced the ocean, and when they slept with the windows open, the roar of the ocean lulled them to sleep. Jack and Rose took the bedroom with the small deck outside, while Vicki had a skylight in her room. The guest bedroom got it's fair share of use as well.

Jack's parents visited them at least twice a year, one of those times always being in winter. Brandy and Tommy had married last fall, and dropped by for a visit on their way home from their honeymoon in Hawaii. Fabri had stayed for a few months shortly after Jack and Rose moved in. He and Izzy had broken up, and he just wanted to get away. It turned out well for him, as he met his new girlfriend Helga while fishing off the pier.

Vicki, now in second grade, excelled in school. She was a genius in math, taking after Rose. She also took after Jack, and was a talented little artist. Vicki was a Girl Scout, who always managed to sell the most cookies. But both Jack and Rose expected her outgoing personality and desire for fun and adventure would lead her to making a name for herself in California.

Jack had found a job at UCLA as well, teaching at the art school. His knack for photography had caught attention by local magazines and newspapers. He had then been approached by a headhunter for the Museum of Contemporary Art. They had read an interview he had given to the Los Angeles Times. At the end of the semester, he quit his job teaching, and became a curator at MOCA.

As for Rose, she had been named as one of the top ten trauma surgeons in the country. She not only handled hundreds surgeries a year, but she was also teaching surgical interns the ropes of the medical world. She didn't care if she was offered twice the money she was making now to go somewhere else. Rose loved her job, loved Jack and Victoria, and loved Santa Monica.

"Rosebud?" She looked over at Jack, who was now leaning against the rail of the deck. "You okay?"

"I'm perfect," she responded, smiling. "I'm just thinking about how great my life, our life, is." Jack walked over to her and kissed her. After ten years, his lips against hers still set her body on fire. "Jack," she whispered as his lips trailed down her neck.

"Yes?" He tone was teasing, and he had a sly smile. She kissed him again.

"I want you," she whispered in his ear. He picked her up, and she wrapped her legs around his hips as he carried her back into their bedroom.

"You always want me," he teased as she pulled his shirt over his head.

Rose reached up and stroked his face, smiling. "Just shut up and kiss me."

_**...**_

California was where Jack, Rose, Victoria, and Booger remained for the rest of their lives. Sadly, Booger developed cancer when she was ten, and they opted to put her to sleep.

After twelve more years as a surgeon, Rose retired at the age of fifty three, in the year 2031. She could have remained at UCLA, and her superiors tried, but failed to keep her aboard the medical team. Rose had more financial security than she needed, and she and Jack had discussed traveling the world. Jack retired from MOCA just a few months after.

Victoria graduated at the top of her high school class, securing the valedictorian spot in her graduating class of 2029. She followed in Jack's footsteps and went to art school. But her degree was something to fall back on, as she had begun to achieve success as an actress. After a few spots in various sitcoms and dramas, she landed a contract role on the soap opera General Hospital. She married a fellow actor just a year after beginning her role on the show, and had three sons, Anthony, Maurice, and Jonathan.

Jack and Rose decided to travel to Europe, at least to begin with. The danced in a pub in Ireland, and toured Buckingham Palace in England. Though in their fifties, they were still young and healthy, and had no problem backpacking through the wilderness of Spain. They visited the Holocaust memorial landscapes in Germany, and rode in a gondola in Venice, Italy. Their last stop was Amsterdam, where they visited many 'coffee shops' and laughed their way through the red light district.

After a year, they returned home. Shortly thereafter, Jack's parents died when a tornado had hit Chippewa Falls in the late spring of 2032. The three of them traveled to Wisconsin for the funeral. Fabri and Helga, now married, bought the Rachel and Eric's home.

In 2057, Tommy died of a heart attack at the age of 75. Brandy lived five more years, before succumbing to breast cancer at the age of 79. Fabri and Helga died in a car accident a few months later.

On August 13th, 2070, just four days after his ninetieth birthday, Jack suffered a stroke. He was rushed to the hospital, where he regained consciousness long enough to see he was surrounded by his family and tell them he loved them. He fell asleep and never woke up.

Rose missed Jack terribly, but carried on her life for another four years. She was happy, despite living without Jack. She looked back on her life on him, flipping through photographs, home videos, and her favorite, Jack's sketches.

She called Victoria, as she did every evening, on September 21st, 2074. Rose talked to her for a long time that night, as well as her grandsons. A tired feeling crept into Rose's old body, and she just knew her time was coming. She told them all that she loved them before hanging up the phone and climbing into bed for the last time.

When Rose opened her eyes again, she was walking towards a door. The cracks around it glowed, and Rose knew she had been here before, when she miscarried her son. As she reached for the door handle, she noticed her hand was no longer wrinkled and covered in age spots. Awestruck, she reached up and touched her face, and found it was also smooth. Her hair was hanging down her back, and she pulled it around to see that it was no longer white, but the vibrant red that it had once been.

She opened the door and saw everyone she loved. Her father was the first she saw, standing next to him was her mother. Rose felt her jaw drop, as she had not seen or heard from her mother since she divorced Cal.

"Mom?" Ruth hugged Rose. Rose hadn't realized how much she had missed her mother until that moment.

"Oh Rose! I've waited so long for this day," Ruth exclaimed. "But first things first. They're waiting for you."

Rose knew who they were. She walked past Brandy, Tommy, Fabri, and Helga, each of them smiling at her. She then saw Eric and Rachel, who each hugged her. Rose looked around, wondering.

"Upstairs," Rachel told her, knowing what Rose was thinking. Rose noticed the stairway to her left and turned towards it. She glanced back at everyone.

"Go on Rose. We'll be along later," her father told her. Bursting with excitement, Rose took the stairs two at a time. The was another door. She opened it and the sight took her breath away. It was if she was standing in the living room of her home in Santa Monica.

It only took her a second to spot him. Jack was leaning over a crib, softly humming. He too had regained the appearance of his youth. He looked to her, smiling, and reached into the crib and picked up their son.

Rose rushed to his side. She remembered what her father had told her, that their baby would remain asleep until the three of them were reunited. Looking down at the infant, she felt a tear slide down her cheek. He was still as tiny as ever.

Cradling the baby in one arm, Jack wrapped his other around Rose's waist and pulled her close. "I missed you so much Rosebud. I know it's only been four years, but it's been four years too long." Though it seemed surreal, it also seemed natural to both of them.

"I missed you too Jack." She looked to her son. "And I missed you too." Jack handed Rose the baby, and as she kissed his forehead, he began to stir.

"He needs a name," Jack told her. He watched as their son opened his eyes for the first time. Neither of them spoke for a moment. Rose wondered if Jack knew that she had been here before, when she overdosed. Something told her he did.

"Noah," Rose whispered. "Noah Jack Dawson." For a few minutes, she simply rocked Noah in her arms. She walked to the window and looked out, seeing the ocean. "Is this real Jack," she asked, turning to look into his eyes.

"It is. I wondered the same thing when I got here," he said with a laugh. "But it's real, and it's forever. We'll never be apart from each other again."

Rose looked from Jack to Noah. The infant didn't fuss or cry, he simply gazed up at his parents, looking content. She didn't have to ask, she knew that eventually they'd be joined by Victoria and her grandchildren. Though she missed them, she was happy.

For the majority of their lives, Jack and Rose often commented that being with each other was like being in heaven. Now it was reversed. They _were_ in heaven, with each other.


End file.
